FCC financial statements received generally good marks from an independent auditor’s report in the commission’s FY 2015 Agency Financial Report (AFR) released Thursday. Kearney & Co. found the statements “present fairly, in all material respects” the FCC’s financial position as of Sept. 30 in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. The accounting firm did find “one repeat material weakness, originally reported in FY 2014, in internal control” regarding Universal Service Administrative Co. budgetary accounting, “one repeat significant deficiency” going back 10 years related to IT controls, and “one repeat instance of noncompliance with laws and regulations related to the requirements of the Debt Collection Improvement Act,” said FCC Inspector General David Hunt in an introductory memorandum. “The independent auditor’s opinion addresses more than $10.1 billion in revenues, more than $460 million in FCC operating expenses and more than $9.2 billion in outlays for the Universal Service Fund and Telecommunications Relay Service Fund,” said FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler in an AFR message. “Despite the positive audit opinion, the independent auditor’s report shows that work remains at the FCC to continue to improve the agency’s operations.” The $10.1 billion revenue includes: some $8.77 billion from USF, $847 million from the TRS Fund, $340 million from appropriations (regulatory fees), $106 million from auction-related appropriations, $6 million from North American Numbering Plan revenue, and $7 million from “other” sources, according to an “FCC management” overview. Wheeler highlighted FCC work on spectrum, net neutrality, transactions, Lifeline and E-rate USF support, robocalls, empowering people with disabilities, process reform, and field and IT modernization. He voiced confidence the FCC is on “sound legal footing” in net neutrality litigation and he noted the agency raised more than $40 billion in AWS-3 auction revenue. He said field activities “presented real challenges and opportunities for improvement,” given technological change since the last Enforcement Bureau field structure review and given a reduction in FCC resources. “The Commission adopted a field modernization plan that will allow our field operations to do more with less,” he said. “The resulting plan reflects the review team’s thorough, data-driven analysis and concentrates field resources where they are needed most -- areas with the greatest spectrum density. … Once implemented, this plan will save millions of dollars annually.” Wheeler also said the FCC's IT team "is on track to modernize our infrastructure, information and communications technologies," replacing costly-to-maintain legacy systems and "leveraging cloud service offerings to the fullest extent possible."

FCC financial statements received generally good marks from an independent auditor’s report in the commission’s FY 2015 Agency Financial Report (AFR) released Thursday. Kearney & Co. found the statements “present fairly, in all material respects” the FCC’s financial position as of Sept. 30 in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. The accounting firm did find “one repeat material weakness, originally reported in FY 2014, in internal control” regarding Universal Service Administrative Co. budgetary accounting, “one repeat significant deficiency” going back 10 years related to IT controls, and “one repeat instance of noncompliance with laws and regulations related to the requirements of the Debt Collection Improvement Act,” said FCC Inspector General David Hunt in an introductory memorandum. “The independent auditor’s opinion addresses more than $10.1 billion in revenues, more than $460 million in FCC operating expenses and more than $9.2 billion in outlays for the Universal Service Fund and Telecommunications Relay Service Fund,” said FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler in an AFR message. “Despite the positive audit opinion, the independent auditor’s report shows that work remains at the FCC to continue to improve the agency’s operations.” The $10.1 billion revenue includes: some $8.77 billion from USF, $847 million from the TRS Fund, $340 million from appropriations (regulatory fees), $106 million from auction-related appropriations, $6 million from North American Numbering Plan revenue, and $7 million from “other” sources, according to an “FCC management” overview. Wheeler highlighted FCC work on spectrum, net neutrality, transactions, Lifeline and E-rate USF support, robocalls, empowering people with disabilities, process reform, and field and IT modernization. He voiced confidence the FCC is on “sound legal footing” in net neutrality litigation and he noted the agency raised more than $40 billion in AWS-3 auction revenue. He said field activities “presented real challenges and opportunities for improvement,” given technological change since the last Enforcement Bureau field structure review and given a reduction in FCC resources. “The Commission adopted a field modernization plan that will allow our field operations to do more with less,” he said. “The resulting plan reflects the review team’s thorough, data-driven analysis and concentrates field resources where they are needed most -- areas with the greatest spectrum density. … Once implemented, this plan will save millions of dollars annually.” Wheeler also said the FCC's IT team "is on track to modernize our infrastructure, information and communications technologies," replacing costly-to-maintain legacy systems and "leveraging cloud service offerings to the fullest extent possible."

The FCC Enforcement Bureau reached settlements totaling $1.4 million with Hamilton Relay, InnoCaption and Sprint for failing to properly handle 911 calls through applications used by callers who are hard of hearing, said orders (see here, here and here) Thursday. Sprint will pay $1.18 million, Hamilton will pay $235,000, and InnoCaption will pay $25,000, and each company will file detailed compliance reports with the Enforcement bureau, the orders said. "Not only are we fining these companies for failing to provide this vital services, but we are assuring that they provide it going forward," said bureau Chief Travis LeBlanc in a news release.

The FCC Enforcement Bureau reached settlements totaling $1.4 million with Hamilton Relay, InnoCaption and Sprint for failing to properly handle 911 calls through applications used by callers who are hard of hearing, said orders (see here, here and here) Thursday. Sprint will pay $1.18 million, Hamilton will pay $235,000, and InnoCaption will pay $25,000, and each company will file detailed compliance reports with the Enforcement bureau, the orders said. "Not only are we fining these companies for failing to provide this vital services, but we are assuring that they provide it going forward," said bureau Chief Travis LeBlanc in a news release.

Video relay service users will be able to communicate directly with each other starting in May because of accessible communications for everyone (ACE) software, said an ITU blog post Thursday by Peter Hayes, CEO of VTCSecure, a tech company focused on serving those with disabilities. Hayes said the open-source software addresses the lack of robust interoperability that the FCC identified as a major problem for deaf and hard-of-hearing users of VRS and other telecom relay services. "Reaching VRS and [TRS] services using their existing mobile phones (Android and iOS) and computers (Windows and Mac OSX), users will be able to engage in simultaneous real-time video, text and voice communications," he said, noting ACE uses ITU and Internet Engineering Task Force standards. "The FCC has committed to updating code to operate with newly released operating systems, meaning that developers around the world will be able to design reliable communications applications based on ACE that will work with widely available consumer devices, now and in the future. This solution could mean global relay services for all, and is already linked with Sweden, France and other European countries." Because ACE is open source, it can be modified for those with other disabilities, Hayes said: "The possibilities are endless. One modification already in the works is Video Remote Assistance (VRA) which is designed to assist blind individuals. It sends real-time video to the next available visual interpreter in a call center who then tells the blind user what the phone’s camera is seeing. This allows a blind user to get help reading documents or navigating inside a new building."

Video relay service users will be able to communicate directly with each other starting in May because of accessible communications for everyone (ACE) software, said an ITU blog post Thursday by Peter Hayes, CEO of VTCSecure, a tech company focused on serving those with disabilities. Hayes said the open-source software addresses the lack of robust interoperability that the FCC identified as a major problem for deaf and hard-of-hearing users of VRS and other telecom relay services. "Reaching VRS and [TRS] services using their existing mobile phones (Android and iOS) and computers (Windows and Mac OSX), users will be able to engage in simultaneous real-time video, text and voice communications," he said, noting ACE uses ITU and Internet Engineering Task Force standards. "The FCC has committed to updating code to operate with newly released operating systems, meaning that developers around the world will be able to design reliable communications applications based on ACE that will work with widely available consumer devices, now and in the future. This solution could mean global relay services for all, and is already linked with Sweden, France and other European countries." Because ACE is open source, it can be modified for those with other disabilities, Hayes said: "The possibilities are endless. One modification already in the works is Video Remote Assistance (VRA) which is designed to assist blind individuals. It sends real-time video to the next available visual interpreter in a call center who then tells the blind user what the phone’s camera is seeing. This allows a blind user to get help reading documents or navigating inside a new building."

Video relay service users will be able to communicate directly with each other starting in May because of accessible communications for everyone (ACE) software, said an ITU blog post Thursday by Peter Hayes, CEO of VTCSecure, a tech company focused on serving those with disabilities. Hayes said the open-source software addresses the lack of robust interoperability that the FCC identified as a major problem for deaf and hard-of-hearing users of VRS and other telecom relay services. "Reaching VRS and [TRS] services using their existing mobile phones (Android and iOS) and computers (Windows and Mac OSX), users will be able to engage in simultaneous real-time video, text and voice communications," he said, noting ACE uses ITU and Internet Engineering Task Force standards. "The FCC has committed to updating code to operate with newly released operating systems, meaning that developers around the world will be able to design reliable communications applications based on ACE that will work with widely available consumer devices, now and in the future. This solution could mean global relay services for all, and is already linked with Sweden, France and other European countries." Because ACE is open source, it can be modified for those with other disabilities, Hayes said: "The possibilities are endless. One modification already in the works is Video Remote Assistance (VRA) which is designed to assist blind individuals. It sends real-time video to the next available visual interpreter in a call center who then tells the blind user what the phone’s camera is seeing. This allows a blind user to get help reading documents or navigating inside a new building."

Payments are to be made from the Telecom Relay Service Fund to Sprint for provision of Web CapTel service, an IP-captioned telephone service, from Jan. 1, 2014, to the present, the FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau said Friday. "The compensation at issue was withheld by the TRS Fund administrator, Rolka Loube, pending a determination as to whether the service was provided in compliance with the Commission’s emergency call handling requirements," the order said. "We find that there is no valid basis for a finding of noncompliance, and thus, direct Rolka Loube to release all compensation withheld and otherwise owed for the period specified." The bureau directed Sprint to provide Rolka Loube with calling information during the specified period, if it hasn't already done so, to allow for proper payments.

The State Department's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls issued the following name change notification on Aug. 14 (here):

Sorenson Communications and CaptionCall urged the FCC to deny IDT Telecom's request for review of a Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau order setting the telecom relay service (TRS) fund's 2015-16 budget and industry contribution factor. IDT, which pays into the fund, petitioned the full commission to review the bureau order because it partially funded intrastate and other domestic IP-based relay services from the interstate and international jurisdictions, which the company said violated the Communications Act (see 1507290024). In a Tuesday filing in docket 10-51, Sorenson and CaptionCall called IDT's arguments "meritless." As an initial matter, they said, IDT's request was outside the scope of a bureau-level proceeding, challenging a rate methodology set by the full commission; if IDT wanted to change the rules, they said it should have filed a petition for rulemaking. They said IDT was also wrong on the policy merits: "The Communications Act gives the Commission wide discretion over the funding of the TRS program, and the Commission has reasonably exercised that discretion."