The FCC fined Northbrook, Ill.-based Globcom $715,000 for not paying into the Universal Service Fund or Telecom Relay Service Fund and not filing accurate revenue information on which payments are assessed. The FCC in late 2003 warned Globcom, a reseller of long distance telecom service, that it owed more than $681,000. The FCC said Globcom responded that it owed about that because its revenue filings were overstated through negligence. Communication between the FCC and Globcom continued since then. The FCC sought more information, for example on whether enough of Globcom’s revenue is international to reduce its payments into the funds. Globcom, meanwhile, missed filing deadlines. “Despite Globcom’s admission that it owes at least some portion of the invoiced amounts to the USF, and despite [a commitment] to make such payments to the universal service and TRS funds, Globcom has paid nothing to either fund since February 2003,” the FCC said. “In addition… the company has failed to file a single timely report” since the FCC issued the warning notice in 2003.

Improvements in communications devices for hearing impaired people are offset by lack of interoperability, resulting in continued frustration and possible danger, disability advocates said Mon. on an FCBA panel. Relay services have evolved from the old teletype-based TTY machines to video and IP-based equipment -- but without compatible standards people often own 2 or more devices and hope the right one is turned on when one’s doctor is trying to call, said consultant Karen Strauss, a former FCC disabilities access expert. “One of the biggest problems this community faces is interoperability,” said Strauss: “Voice is compatible everywhere but not so with text or video.”

Conn. regulators proposed to revisit whether to include the CapTel phone captioning service as part of the state’s telecom relay service (TRS) program. Sprint, which provides the relay service, proposed CapTel as a superior alternative to current options because it simultaneously provides audio and screen text. But CapTel requires that the deaf party have 2-line phone service. The Dept. of Public Utility Control in Sept. 2004 declined to pay for CapTel but encouraged Sprint to offer the service to the deaf for a fee. Sprint returned this month with a new application (Case 04-04-14) for TRS funding for CapTel, saying the FCC has approved cost allocation factors for CapTel service and defined the portion of costs compensable from federal TRS funds.

The National Assn. of the Deaf (NAD) settled a complaint against Buydig.com that it filed with the Justice Dept., NAD said last week. Heidi Forrest, who’s deaf, placed an order at Buydig.com, but the site then asked her by e-mail to contact them at a customer-service phone number. Forrest tried to call the number several times through Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS), but Buydig refused the calls, saying it doesn’t accept “these calls” as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act, NAD said. The site canceled Forrest’s order. The settlement requires Buydig to: (1) Provide all employees written company policy requiring acceptance of TRS calls. (2) Give “comprehensive” training in accepting TRS. (3) Post a notice on Buydig.com that the firm accepts TRS.

The FCC asked for comment on NECA’s proposed allocation factor for inbound 2-line captioned phone calls for interstate telecom relay services (TRS) fund compensation for July 2005-June 2006. The FCC has told NECA to determine and apply, on an annual basis, the allocation factor based on the relationship between interstate and international traditional TRS calls and all intrastate, interstate and international traditional TRS calls. This year, the FCC said, NECA calculated the factor by projecting traditional TRS minutes for 2005 and 2006 submitted by relay service providers in Jan. Interstate and international minutes for both years totaled 24,459,907; local, intrastate, interstate and international minutes totaled 213,957,866, the Commission said. Dividing interstate and international minutes by total minutes results in a proposed interstate factor of 11% for inbound 2-line captioned phone minutes, the FCC said. The other 89% of minutes would continue to be allocated to the intrastate jurisdiction, it said. Comments are due 15 days after publication in the Federal Register, replies 15 days later -- (03-123).

Verizon Wireless urged the FCC to allow wireless carriers to recover the costs of their interstate telecom relay service (TRS) contributions through line items on their bills. The Commission has prohibited carriers that are subject to jurisdictional separations from separately stating line items for TRS, but “wireless carriers have never been subject to these requirements,” the company told agency officials at an ex parte meeting last week.

The FCC approved a package of orders Thurs. aimed at improving communications tools for hearing- and speech- impaired people. At its agenda meeting, the agency: (1) Set standards to make sure Video Relay Service (VRS) functions fully. (2) Decided Spanish translation VRS can be compensated from the interstate Telecom Relay Service (TRS) fund. (3) Clarified that 2-line captioned telephone service also is eligible for interstate TRS fund compensation.

The FCC will launch a further notice of proposed rulemaking on media ownership rules remanded by the 3rd U.S. Appeals Court, Philadelphia, at its July 14 meeting. The FCC won’t address the media ownership cap, which the court said was mooted by congressional action. The FCC also will seek comment on closed-captioning rules. The commission also will take up 4 items aimed at providing better communications for the hearing impaired and persons with speech difficulties. Among them is a report and order addressing captioned telephone service and the compensation of 2-line captioned telephone calls from the Interstate TRS Fund, and a 2nd report and order concerning the Commission’s rules on the provision of Video Relay Service, including speed of answer, hours of service, and VRS Mail. The items will be presented by the Consumer & Govt. Affairs Bureau.

Sprint has enrolled 2 more of its telecom relay service (TRS) call centers in the FCC’s Telecom Service Priority (TSP) Program, it said Tues. Effective June 30, Sprint TRS call centers in Austin and Lubbock were activated under the TSP program. TRS services are available for people who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability. Under the FCC’s TSP Program, if a crisis interrupts emergency services provided by Sprint, LECs would be required to restore service as quickly as possible. Sprint says it will enroll its 9 remaining TRS call centers by Jan.

After pleading guilty in a U.S. Justice Dept. case, Publix Companies and owner Raanan Liebermann entered into a consent decree with the FCC, agreeing to stop operating as a common carrier and pay $7.9 million to reimburse the Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) Fund. Under the decree, approved Tues. by an FCC administrative law judge, Publix waived claims to another $2.3 million held in escrow. The action closes the investigation into whether Publix received TRS money “under false pretenses.” The bureau said it referred the issue to DoJ after an FCC inquiry found evidence that Publix may have falsely requested and received the money. A grand jury indicted Liebermann and Publix in July 2002; they entered into plea agreements with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Sept. 2004, pleading guilty to (1) making a false statement to the FCC through the TRS Fund administrator, now the National Exchange Carrier Assn., and (2) engaging in an unlawful monetary transaction. In return for the pleas, the U.S. Attorney’s Office dismissed the original indictment.