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Products & Services
Assistive Technology
Provision of Improved Telecommunications Relay and Speech-to-Speech Services for People with Hearing and Speech Disabilities
[Federal Register: June 11, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 112)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 39863-39864]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
Provision of Improved Telecommunications Relay Services and Speech-to-Speech Services for Individuals With Hearing and Speech
Disabilities
AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.
ACTION: Final rule; clarification.
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SUMMARY: This document clarifies that Internet protocol relay services (IP Relay) fall within the definition of Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS). Because there is no automatic method for determining if a call placed over IP Relay is intrastate or interstate, we authorize IP Relay providers to recover their costs from the Interstate TRS Fund on an interim basis, until such time as we decide whether and how a methodology can be devised to allocate cost recovery between the Interstate TRS Fund and the states. This document also waives certain TRS minimum standards for IP Relay, and directs the National Exchange Carriers Association, which is the current administrator of the Interstate TRS Fund, to begin paying cost recovery to eligible providers of Internet-based TRS, upon release of this Declaratory Ruling by the Commission.
DATES: Effective April 22, 2002.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sean O'More, of the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-2453 (voice), (202) 418-7870
(TTY).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Commission's Declaratory Ruling, adopted April 18, 2002, and released April 22, 2002. Copies of any subsequently filed documents in this matter will be available for public inspection and copying during regular business hours at the FCC Reference Information Center, Portals II, 445 12th Street, SW, Room CY-A257, Washington, DC 20554. The complete text of this decision also may be purchased from the Commission's duplicating contractor, Qualex International, Portals II, 445 12th Street, SW, Room CY-B402, Washington, DC 20554, telephone (202) 863-2893, facsimile (202) 863-2898, or via e-mail qualexint@aol.com. Copies of this document in other alternative formats (computer diskette, large print, and Braille) are available to persons with disabilities by contacting Brian Millin, of the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-7426 (voice), (202) 418-7365 (TTY). This Declaratory Ruling can also be downloaded in Text and ASCII formats.