The FCC plans to vote on an order to drive down Connect America Fund Phase I support in price-cap telco areas where CAF Phase II auction winners will receive support and in the areas that weren't eligible for the auction, said the tentative agenda for the Jan. 30 commissioners' meeting. Commissioners will consider a caller-ID spoofing NPRM, an IP captioned telephone service (IP CTS) order and Further NPRM, an NPRM proposing changes to the rules on applications for noncommercial education stations and low-power FM stations, and a media modernization order to eliminate requirements for broadcaster midterm equal employment opportunity reports.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission supported a program to provide wireless devices to people with disabilities. Commissioners voted 5-0 Thursday for Chairman Gladys Brown’s motion to expand the Telecommunications Device Distribution Program (TDDP), the PUC said. The action includes granting a proposed $458,179 budget for wireless device distribution within Pennsylvania’s telephone relay service (TRS) for three years. “This is another step toward enhancing communications capabilities for low-income Pennsylvanians with disabilities,” Brown said. Also, commissioners voted 4-1 for Commissioner Norman Kennard’s motion to review TRS and TDDP for possible updates. It seeks a Audits Bureau report and creates a task force with TRS Advisory Board members, program participants, statutory advocates, wireline and wireless service providers and other experts.

Parties backed an FCC effort to improve 911 calling and location accuracy, noting technical challenges. There was broad support for proposals to implement Kari's Law requirements requiring 911 direct dialing from multiline telephone systems (MLTS) in larger enterprises. Industry resisted some potential regulations, particularly on a Ray Baum's Act (see 1812110052) mandate to consider requiring "dispatchable location" information is conveyed with calls to responders. Telecom and VoIP providers, equipment makers, public safety entities, enterprise groups and others filed over 30 comments in docket 18-261 through Tuesday on an NPRM (see 1809260047).

Video relay service providers pressed the FCC to pause interoperability obligations and let them serve VRS users while users' verification is pending through a telecom relay service user registration database. A "limited" waiver suspending temporarily implementation of a VRS Access Technology Reference Platform (VATRP App) and associated technical specifications (RUE Profile) is justified, given "diverging trends" and the absence of "any interoperability problem or consumer need," filed ASL Services (Global VRS), Convo Communications, CSDVRS (ZVRS), Purple Communications and Sorenson Communications on meeting staffers of the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau and Office of Managing Director, Friday in docket 10-51. Even though providers have "successfully" addressed interoperability issues, the VATRP App and Rue Profile requirements "expanded beyond the original scope that the Commission conceived in 2013 as a testing tool for interoperability, adding new 'features' that providers must support, at the cost of millions to the [TRS] Fund and the Providers."

IP captioned telephone service providers and deaf groups objected to FCC proposals to change the IP CTS telecom relay service program, but some telco interests offered support. IP CTS providers and deaf groups also generally backed Sprint petitions to reconsider a June order and declaratory ruling that were combined with an NPRM and notice of inquiry (see Notebook at end of 1806070021). Comments on the notices and replies on the reconsideration petitions were posted through Tuesday in docket 13-24. Sprint said the proposals "are based on flawed premise," including cost-based rate-setting mechanisms that would "harm" deaf and hard-of-hearing users. Hamilton Relay and other IP CTS providers also expressed concerns. Providers and deaf advocates disputed the program was riddled with waste, fraud and abuse. "Given no evidence to the contrary, we believe the increased use is the result of an aging population that is becoming more generally aware of accessibility technologies like IP CTS," said Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA), Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and other groups. But ITTA said the FCC should "build upon the reforms" in its order, lower IP CTS compensation rates further and take other actions to curb abuses. IDT Telecom backed FCC efforts to establish a permanent IP CTS funding mechanism, and recommended a "single contribution factor methodology" to expand the industry base to include intrastate revenue. HLAA and the other deaf groups urged the FCC not to transfer IP CTS administration to states. NARUC said the FCC should continue to cooperate with states and engage their expertise in TRS decisions, "including, but not limited to, the option of State IP-CTS administration with funding authority." The California Public Utilities Commission opposed the transfer unless the FCC "provides detailed information regarding potential state impacts, requisite funding and sufficient transition time" to effect state statutory changes. Hamilton Relay supported Sprint petitions to reconsider a 10 percent IP CTS compensation rate cut and the authorization of automated speech recognition (ASR) technology. HLAA and the other deaf groups also generally supported Sprint's request that the FCC reconsider or clarify approach to ASR applications, but MachineGenius opposed the ASR petition.

IP captioned telephone service providers and deaf groups objected to FCC proposals to change the IP CTS telecom relay service program, but some telco interests offered support. IP CTS providers and deaf groups also generally backed Sprint petitions to reconsider a June order and declaratory ruling that were combined with an NPRM and notice of inquiry (see Notebook at end of 1806070021). Comments on the notices and replies on the reconsideration petitions were posted through Tuesday in docket 13-24. Sprint said the proposals "are based on flawed premise," including cost-based rate-setting mechanisms that would "harm" deaf and hard-of-hearing users. Hamilton Relay and other IP CTS providers also expressed concerns. Providers and deaf advocates disputed the program was riddled with waste, fraud and abuse. "Given no evidence to the contrary, we believe the increased use is the result of an aging population that is becoming more generally aware of accessibility technologies like IP CTS," said Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA), Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and other groups. But ITTA said the FCC should "build upon the reforms" in its order, lower IP CTS compensation rates further and take other actions to curb abuses. IDT Telecom backed FCC efforts to establish a permanent IP CTS funding mechanism, and recommended a "single contribution factor methodology" to expand the industry base to include intrastate revenue. HLAA and the other deaf groups urged the FCC not to transfer IP CTS administration to states. NARUC said the FCC should continue to cooperate with states and engage their expertise in TRS decisions, "including, but not limited to, the option of State IP-CTS administration with funding authority." The California Public Utilities Commission opposed the transfer unless the FCC "provides detailed information regarding potential state impacts, requisite funding and sufficient transition time" to effect state statutory changes. Hamilton Relay supported Sprint petitions to reconsider a 10 percent IP CTS compensation rate cut and the authorization of automated speech recognition (ASR) technology. HLAA and the other deaf groups also generally supported Sprint's request that the FCC reconsider or clarify approach to ASR applications, but MachineGenius opposed the ASR petition.

ZVRS, parent of CSDVRS and Purple Communications, can be compensated for video relay service calls handled at a ZVRS call center that moved in June under limited waivers, the FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau ordered in docket 10-51, said Friday's Daily Digest. CGB said ZVRS notified the FCC about the move but didn't give the telecom relay service fund administrator 30 days' advance notice and the administrator withheld compensation for all calls processed by that call center. The amount of withheld funds was redacted. The bureau said the requested retroactive waiver of the call center notice rule (see 1807300022) was warranted because ZVRS partially complied and took prompt steps to fix the problem: "Denial of so large a payment ... would be disproportionate to the gravity of the violation."

Video relay service providers urged expedited FCC approval of their waiver petition to serve new users or those ported from other providers while verification is pending through a telecom relay service user registration database. "Such rapid action is particularly justified in this proceeding given the unanimous views of the VRS Providers [petition] and the Consumer Groups [here], as well as the absence of any opposition," replied ASL Services (Global VRS), Convo Communications, Purple Communications, Sorenson Communications and CSDVRS (ZVRS), posted Monday in docket 03-123. Enterprise Users criticized AT&T, Verizon and CenturyLink arguments backing an ITTA petition seeking a ruling that confirms carriers can recover TRS Fund contributions in line-item charges to customers. The telcos ask the FCC "to rewrite history -- to retroactively reverse the Commission's long standing prohibition against the use of line items to recover TRS Fund contributions -- in order to insulate them from the consequences of their current and past unlawful actions," said 3M, Coca-Cola, Mastercard, Office Depot, Sears and a dozen others. They recognized the FCC has the authority to change the rule prospectively.

The FCC gave Sprint and Hamilton Relay an extension of previously granted waivers of mandatory minimum standards for certain telecom relay services offered under state TRS programs. "The waived standards require providers of traditional TRS, speech-to-speech relay service (STS), and non-Internet Protocol (IP) forms of captioned telephone service (CTS) to offer consumers (1) their choice of long distance carrier (equal access rule) and (2) multiple billing options for long distance calls," said the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau public notice Wednesday in docket 03-123. The waivers now extend "until the earlier of August 24, 2019, or the effective date of a Commission decision" on the continuing application of the related standards.

Sprint asked the FCC to reconsider its new IP captioned telephone service rate for provider compensation, which was cut from $1.95 per minute to $1.75 July 1 and will drop to $1.58 July 1, 2019 (see Notebook at end of 1806070021). The commission failed to rely on an updated record and fully assess reasonable IP CTS costs in setting "unreasonably low interim rates," said a petition posted in docket 13-24, one of several filings posted Monday and Friday on telecom relay service issues. Sprint urged the FCC to freeze the rate at $1.95 until it resolves fundamental questions. Advocates for the deaf and hard of hearing largely backed a previous Sprint petition to clarify or reconsider an accompanying IP CTS ruling authorizing automatic speech recognition (ASR) technology (see 1807100066). "The Commission is putting the cart before the horse by allowing ASR-based IP CTS services without developing standards and metrics for the provision of IP CTS to ensure that consumers receive robust service from all providers," said the Hearing Loss Association of America, Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc. (TDI) and others. "Grant in significant part" the petition and lay out "the contours of a framework ... as a baseline for evaluating pending applications and others that are submitted," they advised. TDI, the National Association for the Deaf and Cerebral Palsy and Deaf Organization backed video relay service providers' petition (see 1806210011) for a limited waiver to serve new users or those ported from other providers, while verification is pending through a TRS user registration database, said the groups' filing in docket 10-51. ZVRS, parent of CSDVRS and Purple Communications, petitioned for a retroactive waiver of a requirement to file written notifications "of a change in a call center's location, including the opening, closing, or relocation of any center, at least 30 days prior to any such change."