Cramer: House Aids Consumers With Passage of Telecommunications Bill
Press Release
Congressman Kevin Cramer supported consumer-focused telecommunications bills passed by the House of Representatives today.
S.96, the Improving Rural Call Quality and Reliability Act, would create a registry of intermediate providers, which are third-party companies that connect long distance calls between large, national providers and smaller, local providers, and require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to establish service quality standards. The bill would also prohibit telephone carriers from using an intermediate provider that has not been registered. This measure creates greater accountability for intermediate providers and lead to a more efficient and effective delivery of long distance calls. The House already passed nearly identical legislation, H.R. 460, the Improving Rural Call Quality and Reliability Act of 2017, which was cosponsored by Cramer.
"This legislation helps correct the disadvantages faced by rural Americans who struggle with poor quality telephone service," said Cramer. "Rural Americans need reliable and consistent telephone service for their businesses and homes."
The House also agreed to changes the Senate made to H.R. 582, Kari's Law Act of 2017, which Cramer is a cosponsor of. It requires any multi-line telephone system connects directly to 911 when dialed, even in instances where the phone requires the user to dial "9" to get an outside line. The bill was inspired by an East Texas mother killed in a hotel room in 2013 by her estranged husband. Her nine-year-old daughter tried calling 911 from the hotel room four times but wasn't able to get through because she didn't know to dial another nine to reach an outside line.
"Kari's Law ensures that any traveler staying in a hotel shouldn't have to wonder in an emergency if a call to 911 will go through," said Cramer. "These changes will not be costly to implement, and will bring peace of mind to anyone in need of 911 emergency services."
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