The FCC extended until June 29 a waiver of a telecom relay service rule requiring traditional TRS providers to automatically and immediately call an appropriate public safety answering point upon receiving an emergency 711 call placed by an interconnected VoIP user (CD April 8 p10). In an order late Wednesday, the Consumer & Governmental Affairs bureau also sought comment on “remaining technical, operational, or other issues” preventing traditional TRS providers from identifying the correct PSAP when they get such a call. The bureau also asked how often conventional TRS is used to make calls though interconnected VoIP, “particularly the incidence of such calls for purposes of obtaining emergency assistance.” Comments will be due three weeks after the order appears in the Federal Register, replies 10 days later.

The FCC must do more outreach to deaf consumers on how to get 10-digit phone numbers for Internet-based telecom relay service, said consumer groups NorCal and Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. In a Friday ex parte filing, the groups said many deaf people “are unaware of numbering implementation or are confused by information they are receiving from various TRS providers.” Providers have been doing the bulk of education, but frequently insert their own marketing pitches into workshops, the groups said. The FCC can help by posting a video message in American Sign Language on its Web site about requirements for number assignment, they said. The consumer groups also expressed concern that consumers in rural areas aren’t receiving geographically correct phone numbers, even though FCC rules require them. The commission should issue a public notice reminding TRS providers of the requirement, the groups said. They asked the agency to hold a technical workshop with TRS providers on how best to handle callbacks to 911 callers from public safety, because they said TRS providers are having difficulty developing methodologies.

Telecom relay service provider CSDVRS lost some call data when it upgraded its computer systems to support 10- digit numbers, the company said in a Monday letter to the FCC. Bugs in CSDVRS’ new software prevented it from capturing 5-10 percent of the total reimbursable minutes on the calls, the TRS provider said. So it can receive full compensation from the interstate TRS fund, CSDVRS wants the FCC to grant the company a limited exception and advise how to proceed. CSDVRS has fixed most of the problems, and the bugs “have been on a steady decline since December,” it said.

Some telecom relay service providers may be improperly rounding up conversation minutes reimbursed by the Interstate TRS Fund, the FCC said late Tuesday. “When recording the actual conversation time of each completed call, the decimal representation of the seconds should extend to the tenth of a minute,” the FCC said. “Providers may round up only in those circumstances where the number in the hundredth place is 5 or greater.” When reporting total monthly minutes to the National Exchange Carrier Association, carriers should add all call times together and then round to the nearest whole number, it said.

The FCC should permit hearing consumers to get 10-digit numbers for video relay service phones, said the National Association for the Deaf and five other consumer groups. In a petition last week, the groups asked the FCC to reconsider a provision in a December order excluding hearing users (CD Dec 23 p3). VRS provider GoAmerica agreed in a separate petition, asking the FCC to additionally reconsider a rule about the handling of public safety call backs. Phone numbers have been available to deaf users since Dec. 31.

The FCC should expand Interstate Telecom Relay Service fund support to include TRS calls involving multiple communications assistants, interpreters and technologies, said AT&T, Sprint Nextel, Sorenson Communications, GoAmerica and five other TRS providers. In a Wednesday petition for declaratory ruling, the companies said federal funding for that kind of call is needed to meet Congress’ functional equivalency goals. But the petition may have to overcome concerns on Capitol Hill that the TRS fund is already too large.

With little more than a week left before deaf consumers can get 10-digit phone numbers for Internet-based telecom relay services, the FC released details on its implementation plan. Late Friday, in a second report and order, and order on reconsideration, the commission tackled 911 implementation, user registration processes and numbering costs, among other issues.

Telecom relay providers won’t be able to serve as default providers for customers who want to use other providers’ videophones by the Dec. 31 deadline to implement the FCC’s 10-digit number plan for Internet-based TRS, said TRS provider CSDVRS. The company asked the FCC to temporarily waive a rule requiring providers to ensure their equipment sends routing information only to the user’s default provider. “At present, there is no industry standard to enable providers to accept routing information delivered by end user equipment that has been distributed by other providers,” CSDVRS said. Providers have begun work on such a standard, but “additional months are needed,” it said.

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin continues to stonewall House Democratic investigators, who released a report Tuesday alleging “egregious abuses of power” under his leadership, House Commerce Oversight Subcommittee Chairman Bart Stupak, D-Mich., told reporters. The FCC should fire its Homeland Security Chief Derek Poarch for “routinely violating” government travel regulations by flying first-class, renting “premium-class vehicles” and inflating expenses, Stupak said. “Mr. Poarch reportedly scoffed at advice from FCC staff that he was violating travel recommendations,” the report said.

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin continues to stonewall House Democratic investigators, who released a report Tuesday alleging “egregious abuses of power” under his leadership, House Commerce Oversight Subcommittee Chairman Bart Stupak, D-Mich., told reporters.