The National Emergency Number Association said the transition from text telephone (TTY) to real-time text (RTT) technology is critical, but the FCC should take into account concerns of 911 call centers. NENA recommended a phased rollout to address public safety concerns. Industry'smajor concern has been that the FCC not micromanage how carriers deploy RTT, but NENA raised another matter (see 1607260020).
FCC staff opened a pleading cycle on a VTCSecure petition seeking changes to allow providers of direct sign-language support services to access the telecom relay service (TRS) numbering directory. Initial comments are due Aug. 17, replies Sept. 1, said a Wireline Bureau and Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau public notice in docket 10-191 in Tuesday's Daily Digest. Direct sign-language communications between the deaf and customer-service representatives of large companies would increase "functional equivalence" for the deaf and hard of hearing, save the TRS fund tens of millions of dollars (relay services use sign-language interpreters) and employ deaf persons as customer-service representatives, VTCSecure had said (see 1607070003).
VTCSecure asked the FCC to allow providers of direct sign-language support services to access the telecom relay service (TRS) numbering directory. About 10 percent of video relay service (VRS) calls, which use a sign-language (SL) interpreter to relay voice communications to the deaf and hard of hearing, go to just 100 customer-service phone numbers in large corporations and government agencies, said a VTCSecure petition for waiver and declaratory ruling filed in docket 03-123 Wednesday. Such interactions would more closely resemble regular phone conversations -- increasing "functional equivalence" mandated under the law -- if the customer-service representative and the deaf consumer could communicate directly using sign language rather than through an SL interpreter, said the petition. It said the service also would save the TRS Fund tens of millions of dollars annually and employ deaf persons as customer-service representatives. But providers of direct SL customer-support services need access to the TRS numbering directory to obtain routing information and so VRS providers will know calls to customer-service numbers should be handled as point-to-point video calls without an interpreter, the petition said. The commission also should require VRS providers to include direct SL customer-support service providers on their "white list" of known IP domain names they have agreed to recognize as valid for routing point-to-point video calls, it concluded.
VTCSecure asked the FCC to allow providers of direct sign-language support services to access the telecom relay service (TRS) numbering directory. About 10 percent of video relay service (VRS) calls, which use a sign-language (SL) interpreter to relay voice communications to the deaf and hard of hearing, go to just 100 customer-service phone numbers in large corporations and government agencies, said a VTCSecure petition for waiver and declaratory ruling filed in docket 03-123 Wednesday. Such interactions would more closely resemble regular phone conversations -- increasing "functional equivalence" mandated under the law -- if the customer-service representative and the deaf consumer could communicate directly using sign language rather than through an SL interpreter, said the petition. It said the service also would save the TRS Fund tens of millions of dollars annually and employ deaf persons as customer-service representatives. But providers of direct SL customer-support services need access to the TRS numbering directory to obtain routing information and so VRS providers will know calls to customer-service numbers should be handled as point-to-point video calls without an interpreter, the petition said. The commission also should require VRS providers to include direct SL customer-support service providers on their "white list" of known IP domain names they have agreed to recognize as valid for routing point-to-point video calls, it concluded.
FCC staff adopted telecom relay service per-minute compensation rates that had been proposed by TRS fund administrator Rolka Loube Associates (see 1605100030). As proposed for the coming funding year, total annual funding was set at $1.14 billion, with carriers to contribute 1.86 percent of their interstate and international (long-distance) telecom revenue to the fund, said the order from the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau in docket 03-123 listed in Friday's Daily Digest. Starting July 1, "the per-minute compensation rates for interstate and Internet-based TRS, other than video relay service (VRS), shall be: (1) for interstate traditional TRS, $2.6245; (2) for interstate Speech-to-Speech relay service (STS), $3.7555; (3) for interstate captioned telephone service (CTS) and Internet Protocol captioned telephone service (IP CTS), $1.9058; and (4) for IP Relay, $1.30," said the order. "For VRS providers with more than 500,000 monthly minutes, the per-minute VRS compensation rates for the period from July 1, 2016, through December 31, 2016, are: Tier I (a provider’s 1st 500,000 monthly minutes), $4.44; Tier II (a provider’s 2nd 500,000 monthly minutes), $4.44; and Tier III (a provider’s monthly minutes in excess of 1 million), $3.68. The applicable per-minute VRS compensation rates for the period from January 1, 2017, through June 30, 2017, are: Tier I, $4.06; Tier II, $4.06; Tier III,$3.49. For VRS providers with 500,000 or fewer monthly minutes, the per-minute VRS compensation rates are: For the period from July 1 to October 31, 2016, $5.29; for the period from November 1, 2016, to April 30, 2017, $5.06; for the period from May 1 to June 30, 2017, $4.82."
FCC staff adopted telecom relay service per-minute compensation rates that had been proposed by TRS fund administrator Rolka Loube Associates (see 1605100030). As proposed for the coming funding year, total annual funding was set at $1.14 billion, with carriers to contribute 1.86 percent of their interstate and international (long-distance) telecom revenue to the fund, said the order from the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau in docket 03-123 listed in Friday's Daily Digest. Starting July 1, "the per-minute compensation rates for interstate and Internet-based TRS, other than video relay service (VRS), shall be: (1) for interstate traditional TRS, $2.6245; (2) for interstate Speech-to-Speech relay service (STS), $3.7555; (3) for interstate captioned telephone service (CTS) and Internet Protocol captioned telephone service (IP CTS), $1.9058; and (4) for IP Relay, $1.30," said the order. "For VRS providers with more than 500,000 monthly minutes, the per-minute VRS compensation rates for the period from July 1, 2016, through December 31, 2016, are: Tier I (a provider’s 1st 500,000 monthly minutes), $4.44; Tier II (a provider’s 2nd 500,000 monthly minutes), $4.44; and Tier III (a provider’s monthly minutes in excess of 1 million), $3.68. The applicable per-minute VRS compensation rates for the period from January 1, 2017, through June 30, 2017, are: Tier I, $4.06; Tier II, $4.06; Tier III,$3.49. For VRS providers with 500,000 or fewer monthly minutes, the per-minute VRS compensation rates are: For the period from July 1 to October 31, 2016, $5.29; for the period from November 1, 2016, to April 30, 2017, $5.06; for the period from May 1 to June 30, 2017, $4.82."
Telecom relay service providers objected to proposed changes in their compensation, particularly a possible shift from market-based to cost-based rates. Meanwhile, USTelecom voiced renewed concerns about the TRS contribution system funding the communications program for people with hearing and speech disabilities. Parties filed comments Tuesday in docket 10-51 responding to an FCC notice on the recommendations of TRS administrator Rolka Loube Associates for the funding year beginning July 1 (see 1605100030).
Telecom relay service providers objected to proposed changes in their compensation, particularly a possible shift from market-based to cost-based rates. Meanwhile, USTelecom voiced renewed concerns about the TRS contribution system funding the communications program for people with hearing and speech disabilities. Parties filed comments Tuesday in docket 10-51 responding to an FCC notice on the recommendations of TRS administrator Rolka Loube Associates for the funding year beginning July 1 (see 1605100030).
The World Customs Organization issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
The FCC set the pleading cycle for proposed telecom relay service funding and payment formulas for the program year beginning July 1. Comments on the proposal from TRS administrator Rolka Loube Associates are due May 24 and replies June 3, said a Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau public notice in docket 10-51 listed in Tuesday's Daily Digest. Rolka proposed $1.14 billion in funding and an industry contribution factor of 1.86 percent of carrier interstate and international telecom end user revenues. It proposed per-minute compensation rates of $2.62 for interstate traditional TRS, $3.76 for interstate speech-to-speech relay service and $1.91 for interstate captioned telephone service and interstate and intrastate IP captioned telephone service, all of which are subject to a multistate average rate structure methodology. It also proposed a cut in the $1.37/minute IP relay service compensation rate to $1.21/minute. Rolka didn't make a proposal on video relay service rates because the commission already established a schedule of declining rates, as modified in March, to provide some relief for small, Tier 1 video relay service (VRS) providers with fewer than 500,000 calling minutes per month (see 1603020033 and 1603030065). But it said the weighted average of VRS provider reported projected costs (excluding outreach) of $2.72 per minute remains "well below" the FCC's related compensation rates for the coming year. Providers have disputed FCC cost assessments. The PN sought comment on various other questions and issues related to the TRS program.