[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 144 (Wednesday, July 28, 2004)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 44970-44971]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-17238]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 64

[CC Docket 98-67; DA 04-2061]


Reminder Regarding Upcoming Deadlines for Waivers of 
Telecommunications Relay Service Rules for Captioned Telephone 
Providers

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Final rule; expiration of waivers.

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SUMMARY: In this document, the Commission reminds Telecommunications 
Relay Service (TRS) providers who offer captioned telephone Voice Carry 
Over (VCO) service that the one-year waiver of the requirement that 
they offer access via

[[Page 44971]]

711 to captioned telephone VCO service for inbound calls made to a 
captioned telephone user expires at midnight on July 31, 2004. 
Providers are also reminded that the annual reports required for the 
various three-year waivers of TRS mandatory minimum standards set forth 
in the Declaratory Ruling are due on August 2, 2004.

DATES: One year VCO waivers expire July 31, 2004. Annual reports for 
various three-year waivers of TRS mandatory minimum standards are due 
on August 2, 2004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Traci Randolph, (202) 418-0569 
(voice), (202) 418-0537 (TTY), or e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August 1, 2003, the Commission released a 
Declaratory Ruling, published at 68 FR 55898, September 29, 2003, in CC 
Docket No. 98-67; FCC 03-190. In the Declaratory Ruling, the Commission 
clarified that certain TRS mandatory minimum standards do not apply to 
captioned telephone VCO service, and waived other TRS mandatory 
standards for captioned telephone VCO service, for all current and 
future captioned telephone VCO service providers, for the same period 
of time beginning on the release date of the Declaratory Ruling. This 
is a summary of the Commission's Public Notice, DA 04-2061, released 
July 9, 2004. Annual reports required to be filed pursuant to the 
captioned telephone VCO service Declaratory Ruling should be sent by 
hand or messenger delivery, by electronic media, by commercial 
overnight courier, or by first-class or overnight U.S. Postal Service 
mail (although we continue to experience delays in receiving U.S. 
Postal mail). The Commission's contractor, Natek, Inc. will receive 
hand-delivered or messenger-delivered paper filings or electronic media 
for the Commission's Secretary at 236 Massachusetts Avenue, NE., Suite 
110, Washington, DC 20002. The filing hours at this location are 8 a.m. 
to 7 p.m. All hand deliveries must be held together with rubber bands 
or fasteners. Any envelopes must be disposed of before entering the 
building. Commercial and electronic media sent by overnight mail (other 
than U.S. Postal Service Express Mail and Priority Mail) must be sent 
to 9300 East Hampton Drive, Capitol Heights, MD 20743. U.S. Postal 
Service first-class mail, Express Mail, and Priority Mail should be 
addressed to 445 12th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20554. All filings 
must be addressed to the Commission's Secretary, Marlene H. Dortch, 
Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th 
Street, SW., Room TW-B204, Washington, DC 20554. When filing annual 
reports, please reference CC Docket No. 98-67.
    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. They may also be 
purchased from the Commission's duplicating contractor, Best Copy and 
Printing, Inc. (BCPI), Portals II, 445 12th Street, SW., Room CY-B402, 
Washington, DC 20554. Customers may contact BCPI, Inc. at their Web 
site: www.bcpiweb.com or call 1-800-378-3160.
    To request materials in accessible formats for people with 
disabilities (braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), 
send an e-mail to [email protected] or call the Consumer & Governmental 
Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530 (voice) or (202) 418-0432 (TTY). This 
Public Notice can also be downloaded in Word and Portable Document 
Format (PDF) at http://www.fcc.gov/cgb.dro.

Synopsis

    As background, TRS, as mandated by Title IV of the Americans with 
Disabilities Act of 1990, makes the telephone system accessible to 
individuals with hearing or speech disabilities. See 47 U.S.C. 225. 
This is accomplished through TRS facilities that are staffed by 
specially trained CAs using special technology. The CA relays 
conversations between persons using various types of assistive 
communication devices and persons who do not require such assistive 
devices. On August 1, 2003, the Commission released the captioned 
telephone Voice Carry Over (VCO) service Declaratory Ruling finding 
that: (1) Captioned telephone VCO service is a type of TRS; (2) 
eligible providers of such service are eligible to recover their costs 
in accordance with section 225 of the Communications Act; (3) certain 
TRS mandatory minimum standards do not apply to the provision of 
captioned telephone VCO service; and (4) certain TRS mandatory minimum 
standards are waived for captioned telephone VCO service for certain 
time periods.

Federal Communications Commission.
P. June Taylor,
Chief of Staff, Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau.
[FR Doc. 04-17238 Filed 7-27-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P