WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator John Thune (R-South Dakota), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, released the following statement today on the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) announcement regarding additional enforcement actions designed to combat call completion issues in rural areas:

“I applaud the FCC for taking action to investigate and resolve yet another of the many instances of long distance calls failing to be completed in rural areas. This is a timely action by the FCC, particularly after two FCC commissioners visited South Dakota last week to hear about and observe the challenges rural carriers face. However, this is only the third enforcement action in 15 months by the FCC to combat this persistent problem. The inability of individuals and businesses in rural America to have reliable telephone service is inexcusable. I have urged Chairman Wheeler and the FCC to continue their enforcement against telecommunication companies who cut corners and expect that additional enforcement actions will be taken in the future.”  

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