2022 TRS History Docket

  • FCC Seeks Comment on NexTalk's Application to Provide Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service. (Public Notice), CG Docket No. 03-123, DA 22-170, released February 17, 2022.

In this Public Notice, the FCC seeks comment on the application filed by NexTalk, Inc. (NexTalk), for certification to provide Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service (IP CTS) supported by the Interstate Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) Fund and for waivers of certain Commission rules..

  • FCC Seeks Comment on Rogervoice's Application to Provide Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service. (Public Notice), CG Docket No. 03-123, DA 22-267, released March 14, 2022.

In this Public Notice, the FCC seeks comment on the application filed by Rogervoice for certification to provide Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service (IP CTS) supported by the Interstate Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) Fund and for waiver of a Commission rule.

  • FCC Grants Conditional Certification to Sorenson as a Provider of VRS under its New Owner Ariel. (Public Notice), CG Docket No. 03-123, DA 22-310, released March 23, 2022.

In this Public Notice, the FCC grants conditional certification to Sorenson Communications, LLC, as a provider of Video Relay Service (VRS) after its acquisition by Ariel GP Holdco, LLC. Conditional certification allows Sorenson to continue receiving compensation from the Interstate Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) Fund for providing VRS after Ariel becomes the owner of the company.

  • FCC Grants Conditional Certification to CaptionCall as a Provider of IP CTS under its New Owner Ariel. (Public Notice), CG Docket No. 03-123, DA 22-311, released March 23, 2022.

In this Public Notice, the FCC grants conditional certification to CaptionCall, LLC, as a provider of Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service (IP CTS) after its acquisition by Ariel GP Holdco, LLC. Conditional certification allows CaptionCall to continue receiving compensation from the Interstate Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) Fund for providing IP CTS after Ariel becomes the owner of the company.

  • FCC Extends Temporary COVID Waivers for Relay Services. (Order), CG Dockets No. 03-123, 10-51, DA 22-324, released March 25, 2022.

In this Order, the FCC extends temporary waivers through June 30, 2022, for telecommunications relay service (TRS) providers to ensure relay services remain available during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

  • FCC Seeks Comment on Global Caption’s Application to Provide Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service. (Public Notice), CG Docket No. 03-123, DA 22-375, released April 7, 2022.

In this Public Notice, the FCC seeks comment on the application filed by Global Caption, Inc., for certification to provide Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service (IP CTS) supported by the Interstate Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) Fund.

  • FCC Grants Conditional Certification to Hamilton Relay as a Provider of IP CTS using Automatic Speech Recognition. (Memorandum Opinion and Order), CG Docket No. 03-123, DA 22-442, released April 20, 2022.

In this Memorandum Opinion and Order, the FCC grants conditional certification to Hamilton Relay, Inc., as a provider of Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service (IP CTS) using Automatic Speech Recognition in addition to its existing service using communications assistants. The FCC also grants Hamilton’s request for waiver of the TRS rule regarding the language of consumer self-certifications.

  • Seeks Comment on Contribution Factors and Proposed TRS Rates. (Public Notice), CG Docket Nos. 03-123, DA 22-534, released May 16, 2022.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released a Public Notice seeking comment on the Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) Fund administrator’s proposed provider compensation rates, funding requirement, and carrier contribution factors for interstate TRS for the period from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023.

  • FCC Adopts a Four-Year IP Relay Compensation Formula, (Report and Order), FCC 22-48, CG Docket No. 03-123, RM-11820, released June 30, 2022.

In the Report and Order, the FCC adopts a compensation plan for Interstate Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) Fund support of Internet Protocol Relay Service (IP Relay) for the period from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2026. The Order also addresses a Petition for Rulemaking filed by Sprint Corporation (now T-Mobile) for modification of the IP Relay compensation formula.

  • FCC Expands TRS Fund Contribution Base for Video Relay Service and Internet Protocol Relay Service. (Report and Order), FCC 22-49 CG Docket Nos. 03-123, 10-51, and 12-38, released June 30, 2022.

In this Report and Order, the FCC expands the Interstate Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) Fund contribution base for support of Video Relay Service and Internet Protocol Relay Service to include intrastate as well as interstate end-user revenues of TRS Fund contributors.

In the Report and Order, the FCC amended its rules to allow VRS and IP CTS consumers who are registering for service for the first time, or changing their service provider, to begin using the service without delay for up to two weeks, pending completion of the user registration process. In the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the FCC proposes to modify or eliminate several VRS rules to:

  • Increase from 50% to 80% the portion of monthly VRS minutes that may be handled by communications assistants (CAs) working from home;
  • Eliminate or modify the requirement that to work at home, a VRS CA must have at least three years of American Sign Language (ASL) interpreting experience;
  • Allow VRS providers to use contract CAs for up to 30% of their monthly call minutes; and,
  • Allow Interstate TRS Fund compensation of calls placed by registered VRS users to the United States from outside the country, for up to one year after leaving the country, as long as the users notify their provider of such travel at any time prior to the first such call.

In the Order, the FCC temporarily waived certain rules for up to one year pending the outcome of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. These include: (1) the current 50% cap on at-home call minutes; (2) the three-year experience requirement for at-home CAs; and, (3) the prohibition on contracting for VRS CAs. Finally, in a Declaratory Ruling, the FCC increases—from four weeks to one year—the maximum period of time for which the TRS Fund will support a registered VRS user’s calls to the United States from abroad.

  • FCC Adopts TRS Compensation and Contribution Formulas and the TRS Fund Size for the 2022-23 TRS Fund Year.  (Order), DA 22-699, CG Docket Nos. 03-123 and 10-51, released June 30, 2022.

In this Order, the FCC establishes the per-minute compensation levels to be paid for certain interstate and internet-based telecommunications relay services (TRS) from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023. In addition, the FCC grants temporary waivers to extend the expiration date of the current compensation formulas for Video Relay Service (VRS) and Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Services (IP CTS) through June 30, 2023, or the effective dates of FCC actions establishing compensation formulas for VRS and IP CTS. The Order also establishes the total size of the TRS Fund for the year and the percentage of intrastate, interstate, and international revenue that covered service providers must contribute to the TRS Fund.

  • FCC extends limited waiver of rule that prohibits Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) providers from refusing calls or limiting the length of calls. (Order) , DA 22-698, CG Docket Nos. 03-123, 10-51 (released June 30, 2022).

In this Order, the FCC extends for Hamilton Relay, Inc., the existing limited waiver of the rule prohibiting TRS providers from refusing calls or limiting the length of calls for an additional 60 days. The Order also notes that, with that one exception, the pandemic-related waivers of TRS rules terminated on June 30, 2022.

  • FCC Reminds States And Territories To Apply For TRS Recertification. (Public Notice), CG Docket No. 03-123, DA 22-1007, released September 26, 2022..

In this Public Notice, the FCC reminds states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories to apply for renewal of their telecommunications relay services (TRS) certifications no later than December 1, 2022.

In this Fourth Report and Order and Sixth Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the FCC expands access to telecommunications relay services (TRS) for incarcerated people with communication disabilities; restricts inmate calling services provider charges for TRS and point-to-point video calls, expands the scope of inmate calling services reporting requirements, and modifies TRS user registration requirements to facilitate the use of TRS by incarcerated persons. The Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seek comment on further reforms to expand the provision of TRS to incarcerated people with communication disabilities.

  • FCC Seeks Comment on Nagish's Application to Provide Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service and Internet Protocol Relay Service Using Automatic Speech Recognition. (Public Notice), CG Docket No. 03-123, DA 22-1090, released October 12, 2022.

In this Public Notice, the FCC seeks comment on the application filed by Nagish, Inc. (Nagish), for certification to provide Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service (IP CTS) and Internet Protocol Relay Service (IP Relay), using automatic speech recognition (ASR) and supported by the Interstate Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) Fund.

  • FCC Seeks Comment on InnoCaption's Application for Full Certification to Provide Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service. (Public Notice), CG Docket Nos. 03-123 and 13-24, DA 22-1087, released October 12, 2022.

In this Public Notice, the FCC seeks comment on the application filed by Mezmo Corporation, dba InnoCaption (InnoCaption), for full certification to provide Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service (IP CTS) using both automatic speech recognition (ASR) and Communication Assistants (CAs), and supported by the Interstate Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) Fund.

  • FCC Seeks Comment on InnoCaption's Application for Certification to Provide Internet Protocol Relay Service. (Public Notice), CG Docket Nos. 03-123, DA 22-1144, released November 2, 2022.

In this Public Notice, the FCC seeks comment on the application filed by Mezmo Corporation, dba InnoCaption (InnoCaption), for certification to provide Internet Protocol Relay Service (IP Relay) using both automatic speech recognition (ASR) and Communication Assistants (CAs), and supported by the Interstate Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) Fund.

  • Comment Due Dates set for Sixth Further Notice on Calling Services for Incarcerated People. (Public Notice), (DA 22-1249), released December 2, 2022.

In this Public Notice, the FCC seeks comment on reforms to expand the provision of Telecommunications Relay Services to incarcerated people with communication disabilities, discussed in the Sixth Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FCC 22-76), released September 30, 2022.

  • FCC Certifies InnoCaption to Provide Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service. (Order), CG Docket Nos. 03-123, 13-24, DA 22-1283, released December 9, 2022.

In this Order, FCC is granting Mezmo Corporation, dba InnoCaption, full certification as a provider of Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service (IP CTS). InnoCaption had been operating pursuant to a conditional certification.

  • FCC Seeks Comment on Proposed Video Relay Service Rules Governing Communications Assistants and International Calling. (Public Notice) , CG Docket Nos. 03-123, 10-51, and 13-24, DA 22-1350 (released Dec. 20, 2022).

In this Public Notice, the FCC announces the comment due dates for: (1) proposed rules governing the percentage of call minutes handled by Video Relay Service (VRS) communications assistants (CAs) working from home; (2) the percentage of call minutes handled by contract VRS CAs; (3) the sign language interpreting experience requirement for VRS CAs working from home; and (4) the rules governing VRS users making calls from international points to the United States.

Bureau/Office:
Consumer and Governmental Affairs
Updated:
Wednesday, December 28, 2022