“This page is a digitally archived AccessInfo Announcement”
On June 7, 2018, the FCC adopted a Report and Order, Declaratory Ruling, Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, and Notice of Inquiry addressing Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service (IP CTS), a form of telecommunications relay service (TRS).
The Report and Order revises the rate methodology used to compensate IP CTS providers, sets interim IP CTS provider compensation rates for the next 2 years, and adopts rules to limit unnecessary IP CTS use and waste of the TRS Fund.
The Declaratory Ruling authorizes the use of and compensation for fully automated speech recognition (ASR) to produce captions for IP CTS calls. Providers must first be approved to use this method by the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau (CGB).
In the Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the Commission seeks additional comment on various aspects of the IP CTS program, including compensation, funding, administration, provider practices, and 911 call quality.
In the Notice of Inquiry, the Commission seeks comment on establishing IP CTS performance goals and metrics to ensure service quality for users and evaluate the efficacy of the IP CTS program.
Report and Order, Declaratory Ruling, Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, and Notice of Inquiry:
Word: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-18-79A1.docx
PDF: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-18-79A1.pdf
Text: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-18-79A1.txt
CGB will announce the deadlines and process for filing comments on the Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Notice of Inquiry after the item is published in the Federal Register.
For further information, please contact Eliot Greenwald, Disability Rights Office, CGB, at (202) 418-2235 or Eliot.Greenwald@fcc.gov, or Bob Aldrich, CGB, at (202) 418-0996 or Robert.Aldrich@fcc.gov. Individuals who use videophones and are fluent in American Sign Language (ASL) may call the FCC’s ASL Consumer Support Line at (844) 432-2275 (videophone). General information about TRS is available at https://www.fcc.gov/general/telecommunications-relay-services-trs.