WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill and a bipartisan group of Senators are urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to restore quality phone service in rural areas, in response to constituents' concerns about the persistent problem of long-distance telephone calls not being completed in rural areas.

"While an increasing number of Americans rely on high-speed Internet and mobile communications, many people still depend on traditional landline telephone service," the Senators wrote. "Call completion problems have serious economic consequences throughout rural America. During this difficult economic period, small businesses cannot afford to lose business opportunities because of dropped calls and poor service."

In the letter, addressed to the FCC Chairman, 34 Senators urged the FCC to release the findings of its year-long investigation into these problems and to take immediate action to address constituents' concerns and "preserve the basic integrity of our nation's communications network."

A study released in May showed that call failure rates were 13 times higher in rural areas than non-rural areas. The Senators called on the FCC to promote best practices for providers and to find any carriers skirting the rule that prohibits them from restricting traffic.

McCaskill, a daughter of rural Missouri, has fought hard for rural communities in the Senate-particularly in protecting and expanding communications options for rural communities. Earlier this year, she helped pass a sweeping Farm Bill in the Senate, supporting agriculture jobs and strengthening resources for family farms and ranches. The Farm Bill included a provision by McCaskill that protects resources for expanding rural broadband service, ensuring that the resources are not diverted to urban areas. McCaskill has also worked to protect rural post offices, fighting to keep post offices open and leading the fight for postal reform to put the Postal Service on a path toward financial viability, a bill which remains stalled in the U.S. House of Representatives along with the bipartisan Farm Bill.

The copy of the letter is available on McCaskill's website, HERE.

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