The National Exchange Carrier Assn. will give the FCC a range of ...

paid from the TRS Fund for providing services such as interpreters. The process often is controversial, providers and TRS users complaining that the rates aren’t high enough to cover the costly process. “NECA basically punted,” said a source who follows TRS funding issues. The FCC has opened a proceeding to study TRS rate methodology, so it makes sense to let the agency pick from a range, depending on different ways of defining costs and demand, NECA TRS Dir. John Ricker told the TRS Advisory Council Thurs. Ricker said for Video Relay Service alone at least 5 per-minute rates could be used, depending on which cost and demand figures are used. For example, if the agency accepted provider cost and demand figures, interpreters would be compensated at $6.77 a minute, he said, but if the FCC used provider costs but NECA demand measurements, the rate would drop to $5.85. Using another measure involving historic data and inflation adjustment the rate could be as low as $4.68, he said. The current rate is $6.64, he said. Ricker said the rate could go down this year if the FCC decided the current level is too high based on the new estimates. It would be very “wrong” to reach that conclusion, said Michael Maddix, regulatory affairs mgr. for VRS provider Sorenson Communications. Maddix said his company’s costs for providing service in 2006 exceeded $7 a minute. “At a time when more than 80% of deaf people in America do not yet have access to Video Relay Services, a reduction in the rate would cut back a program that is vital,” said Maddix.