“This page is a digitally archived AccessInfo Announcement”
On August 26th, the FCC issued a Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service (IP CTS). IP CTS is a form of telecommunications relay service (TRS) that permits people who can speak, but who have a hearing loss and have difficulty hearing over the telephone, to speak directly to another party on a telephone call and to use an Internet Protocol‐enabled device to simultaneously listen to the other party and read captions of what that party is saying.
The Report and Order adopts new rules to make sure that IP CTS continues to be available to only those who need it and, at the same time, to protect the TRS Interstate Fund that pays for this service from certain improper marketing practices. For example, the order requires user registration and prohibits incentive programs that pay for referrals of users.
The Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (Notice) seeks comment on other issues relating to the provision of IP CTS, including, for example, whether to change the current rate methodology for compensating IP CTS providers and whether the funding and responsibilities for overseeing IP CTS should be moved to state TRS programs.
Comments and reply comments due dates will be announced upon the publication of the Notice in the Federal Register. For more information, please contact Eliot Greenwald, Disability Rights Office, Consumer and Governmental AffairsBureau, at (202) 418‐2235 (voice) or eliot.greenwald@fcc.gov (email).
Link to the FCC Report and Order, and Notice:
Word: https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-13-118A1.docx
PDF: https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-13-118A1.pdf
Text: https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-13-118A1.txt