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Background
Since December 31, 2008, persons with hearing
and speech disabilities using Video Relay Service (VRS) or
Internet Protocol Relay (IP Relay) – two forms of Internet-based
Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) – have been able to
obtain ten-digit telephone numbers. This ten-digit number
requirement was adopted by the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) in conjunction with 911 call handling requirements for VRS
and IP-Relay providers.
TRS calls made through the traditional
telephone network automatically pass along to the called party
signals that help identify the caller’s location. As a result,
if the call is about an emergency, relay providers know the
caller’s location, and can route the call to the appropriate
emergency personnel, including those close to the caller’s
location. The new rules ensure that VRS and IP Relay users are
provided 911 service (including location information) that is
comparable to the 911 service provided through the traditional
telephone network.
What is Internet-Based TRS?
TRS permits persons with a hearing or a
speech disability to access the telephone system to call voice
telephone users. For example, a TRS user “calls” a relay
provider through a text-based device (for example, a text
telephone or TTY) and is connected to a communications assistant
(CA) who, in turn, makes a voice telephone call to the person
the TRS user wishes to call. The CA then speaks to the called
party what the relay user has typed, and types back to the
calling party what the called party says. In this way, the CA
“relays” the call back and forth between the two parties.
With Internet-based TRS, calls between the
relay provider and the person with a hearing or speech
disability are made via the Internet and an IP-enabled device,
rather than the telephone network. The two most commonly-used
forms of Internet-based TRS are VRS and IP Relay. A third type
of Internet-based TRS, IP Captioned Telephone Service (IP CTS),
is not subject to the new ten-digit numbering requirement.
VRS – This Internet-based form of
TRS allows persons whose primary language is American Sign
Language (ASL) to communicate with the CA in ASL using video
equipment and a broadband Internet connection. The CA speaks
what is signed to the called party, and signs the called party’s
response back to the caller. For more information about VRS
visit:
www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/videorelay.html.
IP Relay – IP Relay allows a person
to communicate in text using an IP-enabled device (such as a
personal computer) and the Internet, rather than a TTY and the
traditional telephone network. For more information about IP
Relay visit:
www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/iprelay.html
IP CTS – IP CTS allows a person who
can speak and who has some residual hearing to simultaneously
listen to what is said over the telephone and read captions of
what the other person is saying. An Internet connection carries
the captions between the relay provider and the user. For more
information about IP CTS visit:
www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/ipcaptioned.html.
Benefits of Ten-Digit Numbers
Since December 31, 2008, VRS and IP Relay
users have been able to obtain ten-digit telephone numbers by
registering with a VRS or IP Relay provider (their “default”
provider). With a ten-digit number, VRS and IP Relay users can:
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make an emergency call through their
preferred VRS or IP Relay provider and have the call, along
with the ten-digit number and location information,
automatically route to the appropriate public safety
answering point, or “911 call center,” so that emergency
personnel can be dispatched.
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receive calls from voice telephone
users calling the ten-digit number assigned to the VRS or IP
Relay user. (The caller does not need to know the VRS or IP
Relay user’s IP address to make the call.)
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make a call directly to, or receive a
call directly from, another person using VRS or IP Relay
equipment by dialing a ten-digit number.
Users of VRS and/or IP Relay are
reminded, if they have not done so already, to register with the
VRS or IP Relay provider of their choice as soon as possible,
and no later than November 12, 2009. After November 12, 2009,
all VRS and IP Relay users must be registered with a default
provider in order to place a non-emergency call through any VRS
or IP Relay provider. In addition, after that date, VRS and IP
Relay providers will no longer complete calls to a “proxy” or
“alias” number that may have been previously obtained from a
provider.
VRS or IP Relay users can change default
relay providers at any time, but still keep the same telephone
number. Providers cannot impose any restrictions or conditions
when users request that their number be ported to a new default
provider. For more information on local number portability, see
the FCC’s consumer fact sheet at
www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/numbport.html.
In addition, calls can be placed through
providers other than the default provider by clicking on the URL
or address of the other provider. Hearing callers may also place
a call with another provider (other than the default provider)
by dialing the 800 number of the provider they wish to handle
their call.
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New Emergency Call Handling
Procedures
The FCC’s new rules require VRS and
IP Relay providers to:
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obtain from their users the
physical location at which the service will first be
used when the users register for ten-digit numbers;
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give users an easy way to
update their registered location information if it
changes, without cost or additional equipment;
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route all emergency calls to
the appropriate 911 call center and transmit the
call-back number and registered location of the
caller, the name of the provider, and the CA’s
identification number;
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publish a summary of these new
procedures, emphasizing the need to keep location
information updated, on their Web sites and in any
promotional materials addressing emergency call
handling; and
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obtain and keep records of
affirmative acknowledgement from their registered
users that they have received and understood the
provider’s summary.
Interim Emergency Call Handling
Procedures for IP CTS
The FCC has adopted interim
procedures for IP CTS providers that require them, at a
minimum, to automatically and immediately transfer an
emergency call to the appropriate 911 call center or
assure that appropriate personnel are notified of the
emergency.
Further, IP CTS providers must:
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prioritize incoming emergency
calls over non-emergency calls;
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request the caller’s name and
location at the beginning of the emergency call
process for Internet-based TRS callers to update
their location information;
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deliver to emergency personnel
at the beginning of the outbound link of the call,
at a minimum, the name of the Internet-based TRS
user and location of the emergency, the name of the
provider, the CA’s callback and identification
numbers; and
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reestablish contact between the
caller and the emergency personnel or other
authority if either or both legs of the call are
disconnected.
These interim procedures for IP CTS
providers will remain in effect until outstanding
technical and regulatory issues are resolved. IP CTS
providers are not required to provide ten-digit numbers
or automatically pass location information to emergency
personnel.
Emergency Calling Tips for VRS and
IP Relay Users
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Make sure you are familiar with
your provider’s procedures for updating your
registered physical location, and promptly update
the information if it changes.
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Know any limitations of your
service, and have a plan for making emergency calls
in the event of a power or Internet outage. You may
want to keep a TTY and traditional phone line, or
install a backup power supply. Dialing 911 from a
TTY remains the most reliable and fastest method of
reaching emergency personnel.
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Inform children, babysitters,
and visitors about using your TRS service and the
limitations, if any, on placing emergency calls.
Filing a Complaint with the FCC
If you have a problem completing a
911 call using an Internet-based TRS provider, notify
the provider. You can also file a complaint with the
FCC. There is no charge for filing a complaint. The
easiest way to file your complaint is to go to the FCC’s
on-line complaint forms found on the FCC Web site at
esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm. You will be asked a
series of questions that will take you to the correct
form for providing all of the information the FCC needs
to process your complaint. You can also file your
complaint with the FCC’s Consumer Center by emailing
fccinfo@fcc.gov;
calling 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322) voice or
1-888-TELL-FCC (1-888-835-5322) TTY; faxing
1-866-418-0232; or writing to:
Federal Communications
Commission
Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau
Consumer Inquiries and Complaints Division
445 12th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20554.
What to Include in Your Complaint
The best way to provide all the
information the FCC needs to process your complaint is
to complete fully the on-line complaint form. If you do
not use the on-line complaint form, your complaint, at a
minimum, should indicate:
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your name, address, e-mail address,
and phone number where you can be reached;
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whether you are filing a complaint
on behalf of another party, and if so, the party’s name,
address, email address, day time phone number, and your
relationship to the party;
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preferred format or method of
response (letter, fax, voice phone call, email, TRS,
TTY, ASCII text, audio recording, or Braille);
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that your complaint is about TRS;
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the name, address, and telephone
number (if known) of the company or companies involved
with your complaint; and
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a brief description of your
complaint and the resolution you are seeking, and a full
description of the equipment or service you are
complaining about, including date of purchase, use, or
attempt to use.
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For More Information
For more information
about TRS, VRS, IP Relay, or IP CTS, or to learn more
about FCC programs to promote access to
telecommunications services for people with
disabilities, visit the FCC’s Disability Rights Office
Web site at www.fcc.gov/cgb/dro.
For information about other telecommunications issues,
visit the FCC’s Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau
Web site at www.fcc.gov/cgb, or
contact the FCC’s Consumer Center using the information
provided for filing a complaint. |
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