Verizon agrees to $5 million settlement with FCC for not investigating low rural call answer rates

Verizon agreed to a $5 million settlement with the Federal Communications Commission for failing to investigate low call answer rates for long-distance and wireless calls in 26 rural areas in 2013, Alina Selyukh reports for Reuters. Verizon received $2 million in fines and agreed to spend $3 million in the next three years to develop a system for automatic identification of rural call completion complaints, monitor call answer rates, hold workshops and sponsor an academic study on ways of detecting and resolving rural call problems."

FCC Enforcement Bureau Chief Travis LeBlanc said in a statement: "All Americans, no matter where they are located, have a right to make and receive phone calls. Phone companies are on notice that the FCC will hold them accountable for failures to investigate and ensure that calls go through to the rural heartland of the country."