[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 162 (Monday, November 14, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H6127-H6129]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
IMPROVING RURAL CALL QUALITY AND RELIABILITY ACT OF 2016
Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 2566) to amend the Communications Act of 1934 to ensure the
integrity of voice communications and to prevent unjust or unreasonable
discrimination among areas of the United States in the delivery of such
communications, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 2566
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Improving Rural Call Quality
and Reliability Act of 2016''.
SEC. 2. ENSURING THE INTEGRITY OF VOICE COMMUNICATIONS.
Part II of title II of the Communications Act of 1934 (47
U.S.C. 251 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``SEC. 262. ENSURING THE INTEGRITY OF VOICE COMMUNICATIONS.
``(a) Registration and Compliance by Intermediate
Providers.--An intermediate provider that offers or holds
itself out as offering the capability to transmit covered
voice communications from one destination to another and that
charges any rate to any other entity (including an affiliated
entity) for the transmission shall--
``(1) register with the Commission; and
``(2) comply with the service quality standards for such
transmission to be established by the Commission under
subsection (c)(1)(B).
``(b) Required Use of Registered Intermediate Providers.--A
covered provider may not use an intermediate provider to
transmit covered voice communications unless such
intermediate provider is registered under subsection (a)(1).
``(c) Commission Rules.--
``(1) In general.--
``(A) Registry.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this section, the Commission shall promulgate
rules to establish a registry to record registrations under
subsection (a)(1).
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``(B) Service quality standards.--Not later than 1 year
after the date of enactment of this section, the Commission
shall promulgate rules to establish service quality standards
for the transmission of covered voice communications by
intermediate providers.
``(2) Requirements.--In promulgating the rules required by
paragraph (1), the Commission shall--
``(A) ensure the integrity of the transmission of covered
voice communications to all customers in the United States;
and
``(B) prevent unjust or unreasonable discrimination among
areas of the United States in the delivery of covered voice
communications.
``(d) Public Availability of Registry.--The Commission
shall make the registry established under subsection
(c)(1)(A) publicly available on the website of the
Commission.
``(e) Scope of Application.--The requirements of this
section shall apply regardless of the format by which any
communication or service is provided, the protocol or format
by which the transmission of such communication or service is
achieved, or the regulatory classification of such
communication or service.
``(f) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall
be construed to affect the regulatory classification of any
communication or service.
``(g) Effect on Other Laws.--Nothing in this section shall
be construed to preempt or expand the authority of a State
public utility commission or other relevant State agency to
collect data, or investigate and enforce State law and
regulations, regarding the completion of intrastate voice
communications, regardless of the format by which any
communication or service is provided, the protocol or format
by which the transmission of such communication or service is
achieved, or the regulatory classification of such
communication or service.
``(h) Exception.--The requirement under subsection (a)(2)
to comply with the service quality standards established
under subsection (c)(1)(B) shall not apply to a covered
provider that--
``(1) on or before the date that is 1 year after the date
of enactment of this section, has certified as a Safe Harbor
provider under section 64.2107(a) of title 47, Code of
Federal Regulations, or any successor regulation; and
``(2) continues to meet the requirements under such section
64.2107(a).
``(i) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Covered provider.--The term `covered provider' has
the meaning given the term in section 64.2101 of title 47,
Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor thereto.
``(2) Covered voice communication.--The term `covered voice
communication' means a voice communication (including any
related signaling information) that is generated--
``(A) from the placement of a call from a connection using
a North American Numbering Plan resource or a call placed to
a connection using such a numbering resource; and
``(B) through any service provided by a covered provider.
``(3) Intermediate provider.--The term `intermediate
provider' means any entity that--
``(A) enters into a business arrangement with a covered
provider or other intermediate provider for the specific
purpose of carrying, routing, or transmitting voice traffic
that is generated from the placement of a call placed--
``(i) from an end user connection using a North American
Numbering Plan resource; or
``(ii) to an end user connection using such a numbering
resource; and
``(B) does not itself, either directly or in conjunction
with an affiliate, serve as a covered provider in the context
of originating or terminating a given call.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Burgess) and the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
General Leave
Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
insert extraneous material in the Record on the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Texas?
There was no objection.
Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to rise today in support of H.R. 2566, the
Improving Rural Call Quality and Reliability Act of 2016. This bill
addresses a serious problem that impacts so many of our rural
constituents: telephone calls that are not completed or, if they are,
they are of poor quality.
The Committee on Energy and Commerce has spent a great deal of time
over the past 5 years looking to the future of technology, all the
great and innovative things it will bring, all the ways in which it
will change lives. While these new and exciting offerings are an
important piece of the future, we can't ignore the very real
technological problems that exist today. As we talk about 5G service
and the Internet of Everything, let's not forget that for some folks
the big technological advancement they are hoping for is to be actually
able to receive all of their voice calls.
The problem for rural customers comes when someone tries to call them
but something goes wrong. Somewhere in the handoff and the delivery of
traffic, calls to rural customers are being dropped or degraded. The
caller continues to hear ringing on their end, but the call never makes
it to the intended recipient. As our witnesses told us during the
committee's consideration of the bill, this isn't just an inconvenience
for them--it results in lost business or much worse.
The simplest explanation for what happens is that the long-distance
and voice traffic starts with one provider, who then hands off the call
to a third-party router, who will ultimately deliver it to the end
provider serving the person who is being called. This process is
typically seamless, typically high quality, and is typically
transparent to the American consumer. However, in rural and hard-to-
serve areas, it can be expensive to move traffic to remote customers,
so the provider who originates the call will look for the least
expensive option for delivering the call. In some cases, these least-
cost routers simply cut corners to offer the lowest prices, which means
that the call can be low quality or not connected at all.
This is a national problem affecting all of our constituents. So many
of my colleagues shared letters that they received or stories that
their constituents shared about how call failure or poor call quality
has impacted their businesses or their lives.
One of our witnesses operated a telephone company that serves rural
customers in Ohio, and he has told us that he has lost customers over
call completion issues. When his customers don't receive their calls,
they get angry with him, even though he typically doesn't have any
control over the path that the call must take to get to the network. In
fact, he has made major network upgrades to improve his service to his
customers, but when his customers miss a call, who do they contact? Not
the least-cost router who abandoned the call traffic somewhere along
the line. They call the provider or they find a new provider. In his
case, he has lost a major business client because of call completion
issues despite the fact he had not done anything wrong.
The committee also heard from a witness who discussed another very
real consequence of a call not going through. When a family tries to
reach relatives in a rural area, particularly elderly relatives, they
are unable to do so because the calls aren't completed. Understandably,
this causes serious concern to the callers, who often turn to the local
police department for help. As a result, the police must take time out
of their day to check on the intended call recipient, who is typically
fine other than the fact that their phone service is failing them.
Today we consider the legislation authored by the gentleman from Iowa
(Mr. Young). We have an opportunity to make a significant step forward
in the fight to ensure that rural customers get the same high-quality
voice service that others simply take for granted. By requiring the
network providers in the middle to adhere to service standards, we also
greatly improve the likelihood that calls are delivered to where they
are supposed to go. By requiring these intermediate providers to
register with the Federal Communications Commission, we deter
fraudulent and bad actors that abuse the system and drop or degrade
calls.
I was very pleased to hear of the strong bipartisan support for this
measure, and I am optimistic we can make a big difference in the way
rural consumers receive their telephone calls.
I do want to thank the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Young) for his work
on behalf of his constituents and the rural consumers across the
country.
Reliable access to communications networks is a cornerstone of our
telecommunications policy, and this bill takes steps to ensure that
every person gets their telephone calls completed. I urge my colleagues
to support this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I also rise to support H.R. 2566, the Improving Rural Call Quality
and Reliability Act of 2016, a bipartisan piece of legislation
introduced by Representative David Young and cosponsored by a
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host of people, including members of the Committee on Energy and
Commerce, Representatives Welch and Loebsack. This bill has a basic
goal: ensuring that all Americans' phone calls go through.
Several years ago, the Federal Communications Commission found that
telephone customers were having significant problems with call
completion in rural areas. Consumers were reporting false busy signals,
calls not arriving, or long pauses after dialing the number. This
matters not just for rural Americans, but also for people like my
constituents in the Chicago area who want to reach loved ones across
the country. We need reliable telephone service to keep us all
connected.
Call completions are often related to intermediate providers, the
middleman hired to route calls. H.R. 2566 requires intermediate
providers to register with the FCC and comply with service quality
standards. This is a very important step to make sure that we can stay
connected to one another. I urge my colleagues to support it.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from
Iowa (Mr. Young), the principal author of the bill.
Mr. YOUNG of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Texas.
Mr. Speaker, today I rise to speak in support of the Improving Rural
Call Quality and Reliability Act I introduced in a bipartisan manner
with my colleague from Vermont, Representative Peter Welch.
Each month as I meet with Iowans in each of the 16 counties making up
the great Third District of Iowa, I hear how rural America is
struggling. The recent economic downturn has led to people leaving
rural areas to seek opportunities elsewhere.
In my home State of Iowa, rural communities are working to reverse
these trends by attracting new businesses and amenities and
opportunities for their residents. Now, communication is key to any
business' success in reaching customers; yet in our rural communities
across America, calls are not getting through or the connection and the
quality are poor.
Telephone companies often rely on intermediate providers to route
calls from large networks to local service providers, sometimes to
mixed results. But dropped, looped, poor-quality calls do not just hurt
small businesses and consumers; they also hurt our families in need of
emergency assistance and public services.
Mr. Speaker, a family facing an emergency must be able to trust they
will be able to reach assistance no matter where they live. Improving
rural call completion rates and quality is essential to ensuring
families in rural America have access to the services and amenities
offered in large urban areas. These services are important to ensuring
the survival of small towns and granting Americans the choice to live
and thrive in whatever community is best for them and their family--
rural or urban.
H.R. 2566, the Improving Rural Call Quality and Reliability Act,
would help fix this significant problem facing rural America from
dropped, poor-quality calls. The bill requires providers to register
with the FCC, the Federal Communications Commission, in order to meet
quality standards that ensure reliable phone service in rural areas. It
also prohibits providers from using intermediary routing services not
registered with the Federal Communications Commission.
By addressing these problems, Congress can help provide Iowans and
others and all Americans in rural communities with reliable phone
service to conduct business, respond to emergencies, and live their
lives.
I thank Chairman Upton, Ranking Member Pallone, and the Subcommittee
on Communications and Technology Chairman Walden and Ranking Member
Eshoo for their attention to this important matter. Again, I want to
thank my colleague from Vermont, Representative Peter Welch, for his
bipartisan leadership on this issue.
Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support this bill to help our
citizens living in rural America.
Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from
Georgia (Mr. Carter).
Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R.
2566, the Improving Rural Call Quality and Reliability Act of 2016,
because it addresses an issue I hear about frequently: call quality in
rural areas.
{time} 1530
As the Representative for the First District of Georgia, I know the
challenges that people living in rural areas face when it comes to the
quality of their phone calls.
With telecommunications infrastructure being focused in larger and
more urban areas, people living in rural parts of the country are often
forced to deal with spotty and inconsistent service. This bill makes
great strides in shoring up the communications infrastructure in rural
areas and encourages great stability with phone services to people
living in those areas.
This bill will help those who are underserved and will have a
positive ripple effect on everything from public services and public
safety. Call completion in rural areas has been an issue for years, and
with this legislation, the FCC is giving a clear message that we can
and will do more for a large population of the United States.
I applaud Chairman Upton, Chairman Walden, and the rest of the Energy
and Commerce Committee for their continued dedication in shoring up
America's telecommunications needs in a positive and growth-oriented
manner.
I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2566, and I commend my good
friend, Congressman Young, for his work on this legislation.
Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the authors of this bill for bringing it
forward. It is an important concept and one that deserves our
attention. I urge all Members to vote ``aye'' on the bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 2566, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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