Improving Customer Service and Protecting Consumers Through Onshoring
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) proposes actions that would encourage and facilitate the onshoring of foreign call centers. Specifically, the Commission proposes rules and otherwise explore ways to improve customer service communications and better protect consumers' sensitive personal information by limiting use of foreign call centers and by improving standards applicable to a company's remaining foreign call center operations. It also seeks comment on extending these protections to modes of customer service communications other than calls, such as emails, texts, and on-line chats, and on ideas to deter scam and other unlawful calls made to the United States from foreign countries. Finally, it explore steps we can take to financially deter unlawful foreign-originated calls, such as bond requirements. The Commission proposes to apply these requirements to providers of telecommunications services, CMRS, interconnected VoIP service, cable television service, and DBS services, or affiliates of such providers. It also proposes to apply these requirements to the use of foreign call centers for consumer communications relating to internet access service offered by any of the foregoing providers or their affiliates and seeks comment on whether it should extend some or all of the proposed rules to providers of other types of services.
What this rule actually says
The FCC is proposing rules to push customer service operations back to the US instead of using foreign call centers. It wants to limit how much sensitive customer data can be handled overseas and is exploring whether the same rules should apply beyond phone calls—to emails, texts, and chat. Think of it as "if a customer talks to a support agent, that agent should probably be in the US, not India."
Who it applies to
- If you operate a telecom, cable, VoIP, or satellite service: This almost certainly applies to you.
- If you're an AI startup providing customer service for those companies: This likely applies to you (as their contractor).
- If you build standalone AI tools (medical scribes, hiring assistants, standalone chatbots): Probably not yet—but watch closely if the rule expands beyond telecom/cable/VoIP providers.
- Data scope: The rule cares about "sensitive personal information" flowing to foreign call centers. Medical data, financial info, account credentials are in scope. Generic product questions may be out of scope.
- Geography: US-focused. If your server is in Canada or your team is remote from Europe, this still applies when handling US customer data.
What founders need to do
- Identify if you're actually in scope (1-2 days): Does your product count as telecom/cable/VoIP/DBS customer service, or do you serve those providers? If no—skip to step 5.
- Audit where your support happens (3-5 days): Map which support tasks (calls, chats, emails) your team or contractors handle and from which countries. Find out where sensitive customer data gets processed.
- Monitor the rule's evolution (ongoing, ~1 hour/month): This is still *proposed*—not final. The FCC is asking for comments and may expand or contract the scope. Sign up for FCC updates on this NPRM (Notice of Proposed Rulemaking).
- Plan for onshoring (2-4 weeks planning): If you're in scope, start thinking about US-based support capacity—hiring, outsourcing to US call centers, or building AI agents that handle sensitive data without human overseas involvement.
- If you're out of scope now, document why (1 day): Keep records showing your service doesn't trigger the rule, so you're ready if it expands.
Bottom line
Monitor this rule if you touch customer support for telecom/cable/VoIP; otherwise, check back in 6 months when the FCC finalizes it.