Additionally, some calls placed to rural areas may connect but have “poor call quality” issues like echoes, transmission delays and choppy sound. If you experience these issues, there now are ways to report them with your phone company as well as with government agencies.

These lost calls are often the byproduct of how long-distance phone carriers choose to route calls. Unfortunately, calls following the least-costly route can often fall into a loop of routers.

“Throughout rural America, calls are simply failing to connect,” says Shirley Bloomfield, chief executive officer of NTCA– The Rural Broadband Association, which represents nearly 900 independent, community-based telecommunications companies in rural and small-town America. “With personal calls, it’s frustrating. With businesses, hospitals and first responders, call connection becomes a public safety and viability issue.”

Known as “rural call completion,” the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is taking a multi-pronged approach to addressing the issue.

In the meantime, consumers can help themselves. The FCC recommends reporting these problems to one’s long distance or wireless telephone service provider when they occur. Be sure to record the date and time of the call, the telephone numbers involved and the service provider of the calling customer. You can also file a complaint with the FCC.

To learn more about these problems and how to report them, visit www.NTCA.org/callcompletion.