Your future carrier support calls might go overseas much less often

If you’re fed up with scam robocalls or struggling to sort out an issue with a customer service agent overseas, US regulators may be about to step in. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is considering new rules that could limit telecom companies’ use of foreign call centers and change how customer support calls are handled.

According to Reuters, the proposal could require overseas customer service agents working for US telecom providers to be proficient in American Standard English. It may also give customers the option to request a transfer to a US-based call center and require companies to disclose the location of a call center when you contact support.

FCC chair Brendan Carr said the agency plans to vote on the proposal later this month. Carr said many Americans have struggled to resolve issues with support agents because of language or cultural barriers. He also pointed to concerns about protecting consumers’ personal information when customer service operations are based overseas.

The FCC has tied the issue to its broader push against phone scams. Carr said some overseas call centers have been linked to robocall fraud, with scammers in some cases using training or infrastructure associated with legitimate call center operations.

The discussion comes as the FCC continues to push telecom companies to strengthen consumer protections. The agency recently approved Charter Communications’ $34.5 billion acquisition of Cox Communications, which included a commitment from Charter to bring offshore job functions currently handled by Cox back to the US within 18 months.

Major US carriers are now considering the proposal. Verizon said it is aware of the item and is reviewing it, while AT&T and T-Mobile did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.