[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 139 (Thursday, July 19, 2001)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 37631-37632]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-18054]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 64

[CC Docket No. 98-67; DA 01-1555]


Provision of Improved Telecommunications Relay Service

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: This document solicits additional comment on the provision of 
improved Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS). Title IV of the 
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires the Commission to 
promulgate regulations on TRS, to make available to Americans with 
hearing or speech disabilities telecommunications services that are 
functionally equivalent to those available to individuals without 
disabilities.

DATES: Comments are due on or before July 30, 2001 and reply comments 
are due on or before August 6, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th Street, S.W, 
Washington, DC 20554.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dana Jackson, (202) 418-2247 (voice), 
(202) 418-7898 (TTY). This document is available to individuals with 
disabilities requiring accessible formats (electronic ASCII text, 
Braille, large print, and audio) by contacting Brian Millin at (202) 
418-7426 (voice), (202) 418-7365 (TTY), or by sending an email to 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:  The Bureau is issuing this document to seek 
comment on WorldCom's Petition and additional issues associated with IP 
Relay. Comments already submitted in response to WorldCom's petition 
will be

[[Page 37632]]

considered in this docket. All comments shall reference the docket 
number of this proceeding. Comments may be filed using the Commission's 
Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS) or by filing paper copies. 
Comments filed through ECFS can be sent as an electronic file via the 
Internet to http://www.fcc.gov/e-file/ecfs.html. In completing the 
transmittal screen, commenters should include their full name, postal 
service mailing address, and the docket number of this proceeding. 
Parties who choose to file by paper must file an original and four 
copies of each filing with the Commission's Secretary (Magalie Roman 
Salas, Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, 445 
12th Street, SW., Washington DC 20554) and a diskette copy to the 
Commission's copy contractor (International Transcription Service, Inc. 
(ITS), CY-B400, Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th Street, 
SW., Washington DC 20554). In addition, parties must submit a paper 
copy and diskette to Dana Jackson, Disabilities Rights Office, Consumer 
Information Bureau, Federal Communications Commission, Room 4-C746, 445 
12th Street, SW., Washington DC 20554. Filings and comments are also 
available for inspection and copying during business hours in the 
Reference Information Center, Federal Communications Commission, Room 
CY-A257, 445 12th Street, SW., Washington DC or may be purchased from 
ITS. Pursuant to 47 CFR 1.1206, this proceeding will be conducted as a 
permit-but-disclose proceeding in which ex parte communications are 
permitted subject to disclosure.

Synopsis

    In its First Report and Order on TRS, (56 FR 36729, August 1, 1991) 
the Commission established minimum operational, technical, and 
functional standards to fulfill this mandate. Last year, the Commission 
released additional minimal standards to supplement these earlier 
standards. Specifically, in its Improved TRS Order and FNPRM, (65 FR 
38490, June 21, 2000) the Commission both expanded the scope of 
eligible services that would be classified to receive reimbursement as 
relay services, and established new criteria for relay providers to 
improve the quality of relay services. Among other things, the Improved 
TRS Order and FNPRM added speech-to-speech (STS) and interstate Spanish 
relay as required relay offerings, and permitted the recovery of video 
relay service (VRS) costs through the interstate TRS funding mechanism. 
The Order encouraged, but did not require the provision of VRS at the 
present time. On December 22, 2000, WorldCom filed a Petition for 
Clarification of the Improved TRS Order and FNPRM (Petition) seeking 
clarification that its connection to TRS via the Internet (IP Relay) is 
eligible for reimbursement from the Interstate TRS Fund. On May 8, 
2001, representatives from WorldCom met with Commission staff to 
further discuss WorldCom's petition. See, Ex parte letter from Larry 
Fenster, WorldCom, to Magalie Salas, Secretary, Federal Communications 
Commission, dated May 9, 2001. Additionally, on May 18, 2000, 
representatives from Communications Services for the Deaf made a 
presentation to Commission staff on its for a similar IP-based relay 
service. See, Ex parte letter from Philip W. Bravin, Communications 
Services for the Deaf, to Magalie Salas, Secretary, Federal 
Communications Commission, dated May 23, 2001. Although the information 
gathered at these meetings, together with the formal comments submitted 
in response to both the Improved TRS Order and FNPRM and the informal 
comments submitted in response to the WorldCom petition have provided 
the Commission with basic information about IP Relay, it has become 
clear that additional information is needed before the Commission can 
issue a final order on this subject.

Consumer Information Bureau.
Karen Peltz Strauss,
Deputy Chief.
[FR Doc. 01-18054 Filed 7-18-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P