Verizon Wireless urged the FCC to allow wireless carriers to recover the costs of their interstate telecom relay service (TRS) contributions through line items on their bills. The Commission has prohibited carriers that are subject to jurisdictional separations from separately stating line items for TRS, but “wireless carriers have never been subject to these requirements,” the company told agency officials at an ex parte meeting last week.

The FCC approved a package of orders Thurs. aimed at improving communications tools for hearing- and speech- impaired people. At its agenda meeting, the agency: (1) Set standards to make sure Video Relay Service (VRS) functions fully. (2) Decided Spanish translation VRS can be compensated from the interstate Telecom Relay Service (TRS) fund. (3) Clarified that 2-line captioned telephone service also is eligible for interstate TRS fund compensation.

The FCC will launch a further notice of proposed rulemaking on media ownership rules remanded by the 3rd U.S. Appeals Court, Philadelphia, at its July 14 meeting. The FCC won’t address the media ownership cap, which the court said was mooted by congressional action. The FCC also will seek comment on closed-captioning rules. The commission also will take up 4 items aimed at providing better communications for the hearing impaired and persons with speech difficulties. Among them is a report and order addressing captioned telephone service and the compensation of 2-line captioned telephone calls from the Interstate TRS Fund, and a 2nd report and order concerning the Commission’s rules on the provision of Video Relay Service, including speed of answer, hours of service, and VRS Mail. The items will be presented by the Consumer & Govt. Affairs Bureau.

Sprint has enrolled 2 more of its telecom relay service (TRS) call centers in the FCC’s Telecom Service Priority (TSP) Program, it said Tues. Effective June 30, Sprint TRS call centers in Austin and Lubbock were activated under the TSP program. TRS services are available for people who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability. Under the FCC’s TSP Program, if a crisis interrupts emergency services provided by Sprint, LECs would be required to restore service as quickly as possible. Sprint says it will enroll its 9 remaining TRS call centers by Jan.

After pleading guilty in a U.S. Justice Dept. case, Publix Companies and owner Raanan Liebermann entered into a consent decree with the FCC, agreeing to stop operating as a common carrier and pay $7.9 million to reimburse the Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) Fund. Under the decree, approved Tues. by an FCC administrative law judge, Publix waived claims to another $2.3 million held in escrow. The action closes the investigation into whether Publix received TRS money “under false pretenses.” The bureau said it referred the issue to DoJ after an FCC inquiry found evidence that Publix may have falsely requested and received the money. A grand jury indicted Liebermann and Publix in July 2002; they entered into plea agreements with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Sept. 2004, pleading guilty to (1) making a false statement to the FCC through the TRS Fund administrator, now the National Exchange Carrier Assn., and (2) engaging in an unlawful monetary transaction. In return for the pleas, the U.S. Attorney’s Office dismissed the original indictment.

The FCC Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau raised the compensation rates for each of the telecom relay services (TRSs) due to the adjustments in the underlying cost data. It said effective for the July 1, 2004, to June 30, 2005, TRS fund year, the TRS compensation rates will be $1.398 per min. (an increase of $0.049) for eligible traditional TRS and IP Relay; $1.596 per min. (an increase of $0.156) for eligible STS (speech-to-speech); and $7.596 per min. (an increase of $0.303) for eligible VRS (video relay service). The Bureau said the National Exchange Carrier Assn. should make such supplemental payments retroactive to July 1 to the providers for services compensated under the initial rates adopted in the 2004 Bureau TRS Rate Order.

The FCC started a project to encourage Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) facilities to participate in the Telecommunications Service Priority (TSP) program during crises. TRS gives national security and emergency preparedness users priority use of telecom services needed to coordinate and respond to disasters and crises. The FCC said relay services are essential in making sure disabled people can communicate. The new program will provide educational information to TRS facilities and urge them to participate in the TSP programs. The FCC said it would sponsor TRS applications to the National Communications System for participation in the program and help carriers identify circuits or lines that are links to the switch that handles TRS calls.

Several groups representing the deaf and hard-of-hearing urged the FCC in comments to authorize compensation through the Interstate Telecom Relay Service (TRS) Fund for video relay service (VRS). “Because there is no difference between conversational minutes for video mail and other forms of phone mail -- but for the format of the transmissions used in these messages -- compensation through the Interstate TRS Fund should similarly be authorized for this VRS feature,” said Communication Service for the Deaf. The FCC had already approved TRS access to interactive voice response systems and answering machines and ruled that access was compensatory TRS eligible for reimbursement from the Interstate TRS Fund. “It is a simple, indeed logical step, for the Commission to reach a similar conclusion with respect to video mail,” Telecom for the Deaf (TDI) and National Assn. of the Deaf (NAD) said: “Given the significant increase in VRS usage, functional equivalency requires that video mail, like its TRS equivalent, be considered a compensable TRS service.” They said video mail met the Commission standards for determining whether to require TRS providers to offer a particular service or functionality, because “VRS providers already provide video mail, it is technologically feasible, and it is a feature desired by VRS consumers.” TDI and NAD urged the FCC to rule that video mail is a compensatory VRS and, if necessary, require VRS providers to provide their consumers video mail. Echoing other comments, the Deaf Counseling, Advocacy & Referral Agency said providing reimbursement for the costs of video mail was “fully consistent with the Commission’s rule that TRS providers must be capable of handling any type of call… Video mail is a prime example of a new technology that enhances the functional equivalency of relay services. Without it, the many deaf people who have low English literacy are either left without full understanding if text messages or worse, those who call them are discouraged from leaving any messages beyond name and number.”

One of the few surprises at Wed.’s FCC mostly well scripted meeting was a strong statement from Comr. Copps warning that the FCC is still falling short on homeland security. Shortly after the session’s start, Copps -- responding to an FCC report on post-Sept. 11 communications changes that led off a meeting largely focused on homeland security -- addressed at length Commission shortcomings. Sources involved with emergency communications said Thurs. that issues remain, echoing in part Copps’ statements. Copps, sources said, delivered what he viewed as a moderate speech.

Sprint said it was selected to provide telecom relay service (TRS) in New Zealand and to manage the govt. subsidized pool of TRS user equipment in that country. That marks the first time Sprint will offer relay services outside the U.S.