Windstream will pay $2.5 million to resolve an...

Windstream will pay $2.5 million to resolve an FCC investigation into its rural call completion practices, the agency said in a news release Thursday. The telco will also implement a three-year plan to help combat “the serious problem of long-distance calls failing to complete in rural areas,” the agency said. According to the consent decree (http://fcc.us/1mwGucc), Windstream will designate a senior officer to serve as a compliance officer; help the FCC establish a testing program to evaluate call completion performance; and stop using intermediate providers that keep having problems connecting calls. Windstream “cooperated fully” with the agency’s investigation, the consent decree said. “We appreciate the careful, deliberate approach the FCC took in this matter,” said John Fletcher, executive vice president and general counsel. “While we disagree with the agency’s conclusion that our call completion practices were not adequate, we believe this is the best way to resolve the inquiry and enable us to continue providing great service to rural customers."