Statement of Acting Chairwoman Mignon Clyburn on Circulation of Rural Call Completion Order

“It is shocking that in this day and age, long-distance calls to rural Americans all too often are not being completed. Emergency calls to state troopers have failed. Families trying to check on the health and well-being of elderly parents cannot get through. Rural businesses have lost customers frustrated when it appears that no one is there to take an order. All told, this is a serious and unacceptable situation for people living in rural America. So I am pleased to announce that, today, I circulated an Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that will help make sure that calls to rural areas are completed. The Order will enhance the FCC’s ability to investigate and crack down on this problem while also taking immediate steps that will improve the performance of long-distance calls to rural America.”