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

In this document, the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau (Bureau) extends for an additional year waivers of certain Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) mandatory minimum standards for Video Relay Service (VRS) and Internet Protocol Relay (IP Relay). The waived TRS mandatory minimum standards are: One-line voice carry over (VCO); VCO-to-teletypewriter (TTY); VCO-to-VCO; one-line hearing carry over (HCO); HCO-to-TTY; HCO-to-HCO; call release; pay-per-call (900) calls; types of calls; equal access to interexchange carriers; and speech-to-speech (STS). Also, in this document, the Bureau grants a limited extension of the waiver of the speed dialing requirement for IP Relay. The Bureau extends the waivers for one year (four months in the case of speed dialing for IP Relay) because the record demonstrates that it is technologically infeasible for VRS and IP Relay providers to offer these services at this time.