• Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau Announces Effective Date for Expanding TRS Contribution Base to Support IP CTS.  (Public Notice), CG Docket No. 03-123, DA 20-41, released January 10, 2020.

In this Public Notice, the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau announced February 5, 2020 as the effective date of the Report and Order to expand the Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) Fund contribution base for support of Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service (IP CTS).

• Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau Announces Effective Date and Comment Cycle for Updating TRS Rules.  (Public Notice), CG Docket No. 03-123, DA 20-48, released January 13, 2020.

In this Public Notice, the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau announced February 10, 2020 as the effective date of the Report and Order, and establishing the comment dates for the Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Rulemaking to update the definition of telecommunications relay services (TRS) and to seek comment on eliminating certain TRS requirements.

• FCC Permits At-Home Call Handling by Sign-Language Interpreters for Video Relay Service.  (Report and Order), CG Docket Nos. 10-51 and 03-123, FCC 20-7, adopted January 30, 2020, released January 31, 2020.

This Report and Order allows compensating Video Relay Service (VRS) providers for VRS calls handled by communications assistants (CAs) working from their homes.

• Purple Surrenders VRS Certification in Merger with ZVRS.  (Public Notice), CG Docket Nos. 03-123 and 10-51, DA 20-162, released February 14, 2020.

In this Public Notice, the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau announced effective February 15, 2020, Purple Communications, Inc. (PCI), surrenders its conditional certification to provide video relay service (VRS) and withdraws its application for certification to provide VRS.   PCI will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of CSDVRS, LLC.  CSDVRS, LLC (which is changing its name to ZP Better Together, LLC) will continue to provide VRS under the sub-brands ZVRS and Purple, pursuant to its conditional certification to provide VRS.

• Effective Date for Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service Rules Subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act.  (Public Notice), CG Docket Nos. 03-123, DA 20-185, released February 21, 2020.

In this Public Notice, the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau announced that the Commission published a notice in the Federal Register announcing that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved 
modified information collection requirements related to the provision and marketing of Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service, and establishing February 19, 2020, as the effective date for amendments to 47 CFR § 64.604(c)(11)(v) and (c)(13)(iii)-(iv) and for compliance with 47 CFR §§ 64.611(j)(2), 64.615(a)(3), and (a)(5).

• RUE Profile Order on Reconsideration and Compliance.  (Order on Reconsideration and Order Suspending Compliance Deadline), CG Docket Nos. 10-51 and 03-123,
  DA 20-219, adopted March 3, 2020, released March 3, 2020.

In this Order on Reconsideration and Order Suspending Compliance Deadline, CGB grants in part and dismisses in part the petition for reconsideration of Sorenson, rescinding the requirement to comply with the RUE Profile and suspending the deadline for compliance with the requirement for interoperability with the VATRP.

• FCC Grants Temporary Waiver of Certain TRS Rules During Coronavirus.  (Order), CG Docket Nos. 03-123 and 10-51, DA 20-281, adopted March 16, 2020, released March 16, 2020.

In consideration of the recent substantial increase in COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases across the United States, the resulting widespread public concern, various state and local public health measures taken in response, and the President’s declaration of a national emergency, the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau finds good cause to grant, on its own motion, temporary waivers of certain requirements under sections 64.604 and 64.606 of the Commission’s rules, in order to ensure the uninterrupted availability of telecommunications relay services in the United States during this public health emergency.

• Seeking Comment on InnoCaption Application to Provide IP CTS.  (Public Notice), CG Docket Nos. 03-123 and 13-24, DA 20-313, released March 20, 2020.

The Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau of the FCC released a public notice seeking comment on an amendment filed by Mezmo Corporation (InnoCaption) to its application for certification to provide Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service (IP CTS) and its accompanying request for waiver of certain IP CTS rules.

• Temporary Waiver Permits VRS Providers to Contract for Interpreter Services.  (Order), CG Docket Nos. 03-123 and 10-51, DA 20-378, adopted April 3, 2020, released April 3, 2020.

Temporary waiver granted of rule restricting video relay service (VRS) providers from contracting for video interpretation services with entities that are not eligible providers.

• Seeking Comment on Consumer Groups Petition Regarding TRS Rules.  (Public Notice), CG Docket Nos. 03-123, 10-51 and 10-210, DA 20-427, released April 20, 2020.

On April 20, 2020, the FCC released a Public Notice seeking comment on a consumer groups’ petition asking the FCC to:

(1) temporarily waive certain Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) user registration requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic; and 
(2) issue a declaratory ruling that TRS providers can receive compensation from the TRS Fund for the distribution of software used for TRS access by deafblind individuals, including those who do not meet the low-income threshold to qualify for the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program.

• VRS At-Home Call Handling Pilot Program Extended.  (Order), CG Docket Nos. 10-51 and 03-123, DA 20-434, adopted April 20, 2020, released April 20, 2020.

Waiver granted of the expiration date of the at-home call-handling pilot program for video relay service (VRS), extending the program through the effective date of the Commission's permanent rules regarding at-home VRS call-handling.

• MachineGenius Certified to Provide IP CTS Using Automatic Speech Recognition.  (Order), CG Docket No. 03-123, DA 20-485, adopted May 5, 2020, released May 5, 2020.

MachineGenius, Inc. granted conditional certification to provide Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service (IP CTS) using only automatic speech recognition (ASR) technology.

• FCC Extends Temporary Waivers For Relay Services Rules During Pandemic.  (Order), CG Docket Nos. 03-123 and 10-51, DA 20-517, adopted May 14, 2020, released May 14, 2020.

The FCC released an Order extending temporary waivers through June 30, 2020, for telecommunications relay services (TRS) providers to ensure relay services remain available during the COVID-19 pandemic.

These waivers allow TRS providers flexibility to deal with reduced staffing and increased call volumes, to enable more of their employees to provide services from their homes, and to expand the pool of contractors qualified to provide American Sign Language interpretation services for Video Relay Service (VRS).

The Bureau also temporarily waived two additional TRS rules to enable Internet Protocol Relay Service communications assistants to provide service from home workstations and to allow registered VRS users who are abroad as of May 14, and did not preregister to make calls from abroad, to make calls to the U.S. during the national emergency.

• Request Comment on Proposed TRS Rates and Sprint Petition on IP Relay Rate.  (Public Notice), CG Docket Nos. 03-123 and 10-51, DA 20-522, released May 15, 2020.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released a Public Notice seeking comment on the Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) Fund administrator’s proposed provider compensation rates, funding requirement, and carrier contribution factors for interstate TRS for the period from July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021.  

The FCC is also seeking comment on a related request filed by Sprint Communications Company L.P. regarding the 2020-21 Fund Year rate for Internet Protocol Relay Service.

• IP CTS Compensation Rate $1.58 Per Minute Extended to September 30, 2020.  (Order), CG Docket Nos. 03-123 and 10-51, DA 20-570, adopted May 29, 2020, released May 29, 2020.

Limited waiver granted of June 30, 2020 expiration of compensation rate for Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service; interim rate of $1.58 per minute extended to September 30, 2020, unless Commission takes action with an earlier effective date.

• TRS Complaint Log Summaries Due July 1, 2020.  (Public Notice), CG Docket No. 03-123, DA 20-583, released June 3, 2020.

The Federal Communications Commission’s Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau (Bureau) reminds states and providers of interstate telecommunications relay services (TRS)  that they must submit their annual consumer complaint log summaries covering the 12-month period from June 1, 2019 through May 31, 2020, on or before Wednesday, July 1, 2020.  

The Bureau also remind certified state TRS programs, interstate TRS providers, and TRS providers that have state contracts that they must submit to the Commission the name of a contact person or office, or both, for the receipt of inquiries and complaints from consumers about the certified state TRS program’s intrastate service or, as appropriate, about the TRS provider’s service.

• Clarity Certified as Automatic Speech Recognition IP CTS Provider.  (Memorandum Opinion and Order), CG Docket No. 03-123, DA 20-587, adopted June 4, 2020, released June 4, 2020.

Clarity Products, LLC granted conditional certification to provide Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service (IP CTS) using only automatic speech recognition (ASR) technology.

• FCC Extends Telecommunications Relay Service COVID-19 Waivers.  (Order),  CG Docket Nos. 03-123 and 10-51, DA 20-650, adopted June 22, 2020, released June 22, 2020.

On June 22, 2020, the FCC released an Order extending temporary waivers through August 31, 2020, for telecommunications relay services (TRS) providers to ensure relay services remain available during the COVID-19 pandemic.

These waivers allow TRS providers flexibility to deal with reduced staffing and increased call volumes, to enable more of their employees to provide services from their homes, to expand the pool of contractors qualified to provide American Sign Language interpretation services for Video Relay Service (VRS), and to allow registered VRS users who are abroad to make calls to the U.S. during the national emergency.

• TRS Rates and Contribution Factors Set for 2020-21 Year.  (Order), CG Docket Nos. 03-123 and 10-51, DA 20-692, adopted June 30, 2020, released June 30, 2020.

On June 30, 2020, The Federal Communications Commission Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau adopts per-minute Interstate compensation rates for telecommunications relay services (TRS) for the 2020-21 Fund Year, as well as the total size of the TRS Fund and the contribution factors that determine the amounts contributors pay to the TRS Fund.

• VRS Non-Service Related Inducements Rule Clarified.  (Declaratory Ruling), CG Docket Nos. 03-123 and 10-51, DA 20-739, adopted July 15, 2020, released July 15, 2020.

On July 15, 2020, The FCC released a Declaratory Ruling clarifying that particular devices offered at no charge by ZP to its video relay service users, including the OneVP, are service-related, and thus are not prohibited by rule section 64.604(8)(c)(v).

• FCC Modernizes TRS Rules and Procedures.  (Report and Order), CG Docket No. 03-123, FCC 20-105, adopted August 4, 2020, released August 5, 2020.

On August 5, 2020, the FCC released a Report and Order eliminating the requirements that telecommunications relay service (TRS) providers offer “equal access” to long distance services and various “billing options” (e.g., collect calls) to use with relay services.  Today, such features are not offered with most voice services and so are no longer needed to provide TRS that is functionally equivalent with voice services.  The FCC also decided that, for the next renewal cycle, which is a few years off, it will no longer publish notice of applications for state TRS program certification applications in the Federal Register, but will continue to post these notices on its website and in its electronic document management system (EDOCS).

• Comment Sought IP Relay Rate Reconsideration Petition.  (Public Notice), CG Docket Nos. 03-123 and 10-51, DA 20-885, released August 14, 2020.

The Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau (Bureau) of the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) seeks comment on Sprint Relay’s petition for partial reconsideration of the Bureau’s order adopting compensation rates for telecommunications relay services (TRS), as well as TRS Fund requirements and contribution factors, for the 2020-21 Fund Year. Sprint Relay seeks reconsideration of two aspects of the $1.7146 per-minute compensation rate adopted for IP Relay service: (1) the decision to set the efficiency factor for IP Relay equal to inflation under the Commission’s price-cap-like methodology and (2) the denial of Sprint’s request for exogenous cost recovery.

• TRS Equal Access and Billing Options Waiver Extension.  (Order), CG Docket No. 03-123, DA 20-903, adopted August 19, 2020, released August 19, 2020.

The Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau of the Federal Communications Commission extends waivers previously granted to Hamilton Relay and Sprint Communications of the equal access and billing options requirements for telecommunications relay services (TRS) offered through state TRS programs.

• FCC Extends Telecommunications Relay Service COVID-19 Waivers.  (Order),  CG Docket Nos. 03-123 and 10-51, DA 20-946, adopted August 26, 2020, released August 26, 2020.

On August 26, 2020, the FCC released an Order extending temporary waivers through November 30, 2020, for telecommunications relay services (TRS) providers to ensure relay services remain available during the COVID-19 pandemic.

These waivers allow TRS providers flexibility to deal with reduced staffing and increased call volumes, to enable more of their employees to provide services from their homes, to expand the pool of contractors qualified to provide American Sign Language interpretation services for Video Relay Service (VRS), and to allow registered VRS users who are abroad to make calls to the U.S. during the national emergency.

• FCC Adopts IP CTS Rates, Proposes Service Quality Metrics, and Extends Temporary TRS Pandemic Waivers.  (Report and Order, Order on Reconsideration, and FNPRM),  CG Docket Nos. 13-24, 03-123, and 10-51, FCC 20-32, adopted September 30, 2020, released October 2, 2020.

On September 30, 2020, the Commission adopted an Order which sets Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service Rates through June 30, 2022, proposes to establish measurable standards for caption delay and accuracy, and extends through February 28, 2021 the TRS COVID-19 pandemic waivers.

• FCC Seeks Comment on ClearCaptions’s Amended Application to Provide IP CTS.  (Public Notice), CG Docket No. 13-24, DA 20-1165, released October 6, 2020.

On October 6, 2020, the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau of the FCC released a public notice seeking comment on an amendment filed by ClearCaptions, LLC, to its application for certification to provide Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service (IP CTS) and its request for waivers of certain rules. 

• Video Relay Service Rules Effective Date and Compliance Dates.  (Public Notice), CG Docket Nos. 03-123 and 10-51; PS Docket Nos. 18-261 and 17-239; GN Docket No. 11-117, DA 20-1277, released October 29, 2020.

The Office of Management and Budget recently approved information collection requirements adopted in three Commission rulemakings relating to telecommunications relay services (TRS).  Requirements relating to direct video calling and video relay service at-home call handling became effective October 23, 2020.  Compliance with dispatchable location rules for 911 TRS calls is required as of January 6, 2021, for fixed relay services, and January 6, 2022, for non-fixed relay services.

• Comment Sought on GlobalVRS Petition on VRS Incentives.  (Public Notice), CG Docket Nos. 10-51 and 03-123, DA 20-1302, released November 2, 2020.

The Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau (Bureau) of the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) seeks comment on a Petition for Further Clarification filed by ASL Services Holdings, LLC d/b/a GlobalVRS, seeking clarification of the Commission’s rule prohibiting Video Relay Service (VRS) providers from offering or providing incentives for the purpose of encouraging individuals to register for or use the VRS providers’ service (47 CFR § 64.604(8)(c)(v)).

• Comment Sought IP CTS Rates Reconsideration Petitions.  (Public Notice), CG Docket Nos. 13-24, 10-51 and 03-123, DA 20-1373, released November 19, 2020.

On November 19, 2020, the FCC released a Public Notice seeking comment on two petitions for reconsideration of the IP CTS Compensation Order, in which the Commission set compensation rates for Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service (IP CTS) of $1.42 per minute, effective December 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021, and $1.30 per minute, effective July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022.

• Comment Sought CaptionCall Certification Application Amendment. (Public Notice), CG Docket No. 03-123, DA 20-1371, released November 19, 2020.

On November 19, 2020, the FCC released a Public Notice seeking comment on an amendment filed by CaptionCall and Sorenson Communications to their application for certification to provide Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service (IP CTS).

• FCC Proposes More Equitable Funding Structure for VRS and IP Relay.  (Notice of Proposed Rulemaking), CG Docket Nos. 03-123, 10-51 and 12-38, FCC 20-161, adopted November 18, 2020, released November 20, 2020.

The Commission proposes to expand the TRS Fund contribution base for support of VRS and IP Relay to include intrastate, as well as, interstate end-user revenues from providers of telecommunications and VoIP services.

• Sorenson Transfers IP CTS Certification to CaptionCall.  (Letter), CG Docket Nos. 10-51 and 03-123, released December 11, 2020.

The letter is to acknowledge receipt of Sorenson's notification of non-substantial assignment of Sorenson's conditional IP CTS certification to CaptionCall, effective December 1, 2020.

• Telecommunications Relay Services and Speech-to-Speech Services for Individuals with Hearing and Speech Disabilities; Structure and Practices of the Video Relay Services Program.  (Order), CG Docket Nos. 03-123 and 10-51, released December 18, 2020.

In this Order, the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau partially waives through February 28, 2021, the requirement of not terminating TRS calls early for limited situations in which Hamilton Relay and Sprint must switch out calls from one communications assistant to another.

• Transition from TTY to Real-Time Text Technology; Petition for Rulemaking to Update the Commission’s Rules for Access to Support the Transition from TTY to Real-Time Text Technology; Petition for Waiver of the Rules Requiring the Support of TTY Technology; United States Cellular Corporation.  (Order), CG Docket No. 16-145 and GN Docket No. 15-178, released December 22, 2020.

In this Order, the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau grants United States Cellular Corporation (US Cellular) a retroactive extension of a previously granted waiver of the Commission’s accessibility rules to the extent they require Commercial Mobile Radio Services (CMRS) providers to support text telephony (TTY) technology. The previously granted waiver expired June 30, 2020. This extension of the waiver is retroactive only and applies to the period from July 1 through October 26, 2020, the date on which US Cellular launched real-time text (RTT)—the modern replacement for TTY.