The FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau wants comments by April 2, replies by April 9, on the General Services Administration's petition for waiver of the telecom relay services user registration requirement for IP relay service and IP captioned telephone service, a public notice said Tuesday on docket 03-123.
The FCC seeks comment by April 19, replies by May 3 in dockets including 12-38 on an NPRM to expand the contribution base for internet-based telecom relay services, says Friday's Federal Register (see 2011240019). The commission proposed including intrastate revenue of telecom and VoIP service providers.
The telecom relay service market will top an estimated $6 billion by 2027, Global Market Insights reported Thursday. GMI said North America will likely hold a major market share for TRS due to the "expansive presence of enterprises and the penetration of diverse relay services." Avaya, Bell Canada, Cisco, Relay UK BT and Sprint Relay are the major players, GMI said.
Acting FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel told the Disability Advisory Committee Thursday that communications for people with disabilities will be a priority for her. At the reconstituted DAC's first meeting, members said problems remain, a year into the pandemic.
The Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau gave Hamilton Relay and Sprint partial waivers of FCC rules prohibiting early termination of telecom relay service calls, said an order in Friday's Daily Digest. The companies sought waivers due to operational changes during the pandemic in which some communications assistants had to end a call before a new assistant can replace them.
No major changes were made to the FCC's final NPRM on expanding the contribution base for internet-based telecommunications relay service, we found in our comparison to the draft. Commissioners voted to include video relay service and IP relay service during their meeting last week and said they intend to revisit funding arrangements in the future because VRS is now the second-largest TRS program (see 2011180058).
No major changes were made to the FCC's final NPRM on expanding the contribution base for internet-based telecommunications relay service, we found in our comparison to the draft. Commissioners voted to include video relay service and IP relay service during their meeting last week and said they intend to revisit funding arrangements in the future because VRS is now the second-largest TRS program (see 2011180058).
The Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau is seeking comment on petitions by IDT Telecom and T-Mobile for reconsideration of parts of the FCC’s 5-0 September order cutting IP captioned telephone service rates (see 2009300057). IDT says, "because the Commission reduced the IP CTS compensation rate for the current 2020-21 TRS Fund Year, the Commission also should have reduced the applicable Fund contribution factor,” per Thursday's public notice: T-Mobile, on behalf of Sprint, “asserts the Commission did not have a reasoned basis for adopting a single cost-based rate rather than a tiered rate structure and did not adequately consider certain costs.” Comment dates are to come in the Federal Register.
The FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau sought comment Thursday on Sorenson and CaptionCall’s application for certification to provide IP captioned telephone service supported by the TRS Fund. Comments are due Dec. 21, replies Jan. 5 in docket 03-123.
FCC members agreed 5-0 to seek comment on revised internet-based telecom relay service rules, expanding the TRS fund contribution base for internet-based TRS of video relay service and IP relay service. Only Chairman Ajit Pai and Commissioner Mike O’Rielly had statements on the NPRM, which they didn’t read at Wednesday's meeting. O’Rielly said the agency doesn’t go far enough. The NPRM hasn’t been controversial, with no filings since it circulated three weeks ago. Democrats, who will control the agenda next year, had no statements.