Recently, U.S. Congressman David Young and three other members of Congress helped pass bipartisan legislation to improve rural call quality, with the Improving Rural Call Quality and Reliability Act.

Young explained the purpose of the legislation. “It turns out that between the front user and the end user, the entity that is connecting the call does not always have the great quality assurances and reliability that is needed. The intermediary, or whoever is filling that void in the middle to connect the calls, (must) register with the FCC (Federal Communication Commission) and prove that they are reliable and have those quality assurances that are there to make sure calls are connected.”

He specifically mentioned the vital nature of completing calls when dialing for emergency situations. This act could help strengthen local communication co-ops, such as Panora TelCo and Guthrie Center Communications.