Least-Cost Routing Threatens Rural Phone Call Completion

New submitter kybred writes "Rural landline users are increasingly having problems with incoming calls not completing or being dropped. The culprit may be the bargain long distance carriers penchant for 'least cost routing' combined with the conversion of the Universal Service Fund to the Connect America Fund. From the Fine Article: 'Rural phone companies are the victim here," Steve Head says. "They charge a higher rate to terminate calls as it costs more for them. Shoreham Tel gets beat up because everyone calls them and says something is wrong with your system, but it's not. We've been through all of their lines and equipment and there is nothing wrong with it; it's the least-cost routing carriers.'"

Comments

to be expected

[LodCrappo]

if you live where there are few people, you must either pay a premium for dedicated services or go without.
this isn't new. unless I've missed something, the telcos have no obligation to lose money servicing a handful of remote locations.

if you chose to live in the middle of nothing, you probably are not surprised by the lack of off broadway shows, public transportation, and a wide variety of other things that require a certain population to turn a profit. why should telco services be any different.