Provision of Improved Telecommunications Relay Services and Speech-to-Speech Services for Individuals With Hearing and Speech Disabilities

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.