[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 172 (Wednesday, September 7, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53191-53192]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-17523]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[CG Docket 03-123; DA 05-2346]


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

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In this document, the Commission seeks comment on the 
allocation factor proposed by the National Exchange Carrier Association 
(NECA) for determining the number of inbound two-line captioned 
telephone minutes that should be compensated from the Interstate 
Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) Fund.

DATES: Comments are due on or before September 22, 2005. Reply comments 
are due on or before October 7, 2005.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by [docket number and/or 
rulemaking number], by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Federal Communications Commission's Web site: http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs/. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail: Parties who choose to file by paper should also 
submit their comment on diskette. These diskettes should be submitted, 
along with three paper copies to Dana Jackson, Consumer & Governmental 
Affairs Bureau, Disability Rights Office, 445 12th Street, SW., Room 3-
C418, Washington, DC 20554. Such a submission should be on a 3.5 inch 
diskette format in an IBM compatible format using Word 97 or compatible 
software. The diskette should be accompanied by a cover letter and 
should be submitted in ``read only'' mode. The diskette should be 
clearly labeled with the commenter's name, proceeding (including the 
lead docket number in this case (CG Docket No. 03-123), type of 
pleading (comment or reply comment), date of submission, and the name 
of the electronic file on the diskette. The label should also include 
the following phrase: ``Disk Copy--Not an Original.'' Each diskette 
should contain only one party's pleadings, preferable in a single 
electronic file. In addition, commenters must send diskette copies to 
the Commission's contractor at Portals II, 445 12th Street, SW., Room 
CY-B402, Washington, DC 20554.
     People with Disabilities: Contact the FCC to request 
reasonable accommodations (accessible format documents, sign language 
interpreters, CART, etc.) by e-mail: [email protected] or phone (202) 418-
0539 or TTY: (202) 418-0432.
    For detailed instructions for submitting comments and additional 
information on the rulemaking process, see the SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION section of this document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dana Jackson, (202) 418-2247 (voice), 
(202) 418-7989 (TTY), or e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Commission's 
document DA 05-2346, released August 24, 2005. Pursuant to Sec. Sec.  
1.415 and 1.419 of the Commission rules, 47 CFR 1.415 and 1.419, 
interested parties may file comments on or before the dates indicated 
on the first page of this document. Comments may be filed using: (1) 
The Commission's Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS), (2) The 
Federal Government's eRulemaking Portal, or (3) by filing paper copies. 
See Electronic Filing of Documents in Rulemaking Proceedings, 63 FR 
24121, May 1, 1998.
     Electronic Filers: Comments may be filed electronically 
using the Internet by accessing the ECFS: http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs/ 
or the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Filers 
should follow the instructions provided on the Web site for submitting 
comments.
     For ECFS filers, if multiple docket or rulemaking numbers 
appear in the caption of this proceeding, filers must transmit one 
electronic copy of the comments for each docket or rulemaking number 
referenced in the caption. In completing the transmittal screen, filers 
should include their full name, U.S. Postal Service mailing address, 
and the applicable docket or rulemaking number. Parties may also submit 
an electronic comment by Internet e-mail. To get filing instructions, 
filers should send an e-mail to [email protected], and include the following 
words in the body of the message, ``get form.'' A sample form and 
directions will be sent in response. All comments received are viewable 
by the general public at any time through the Web site.
     Paper Filers: Parties who choose to file by paper must 
file an original and four copies of each filing. If more than one 
docket or rulemaking number appears in the caption of this proceeding, 
filers must submit two additional copies for each additional docket or 
rulemaking number. Filings can be sent by hand or messenger delivery, 
by commercial overnight courier, or by first-class or overnight U.S. 
Postal Service mail (although the Commission continues to experience 
delays in receiving U.S. Postal Service mail). All filings must be 
addressed to the Commission's Secretary, Office of the Secretary, 
Federal Communications Commission.
     The Commission's contractor will receive hand-delivered or 
messenger-delivered paper filings 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 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, Express, and Priority 
mail should be addressed to 445 12th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20554.
    The full text of document DA 05-2346, NECA s submission, and copies 
of any subsequently filed documents relating to 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. Document DA 05-2346, 
NECA's submission, and copies of subsequently filed documents in this 
matter may also be purchased from the Commission's contractor at 
Portals II, 445 12th Street, SW., Room CY-B402, Washington, DC 20554. 
Customers may contact the Commission's contractor at their Web site 
http://www.bcpiweb.com or call 1-800-378-3160. A copy of NECA's 
submission may also be found by searching ECFS at http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs (insert CG Docket No. 03-123 into the proceeding block).
    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)

[[Page 53192]]

418-0530 (voice) or (202) 418-0432 (TTY). Document DA 05-2346 can also 
be downloaded in Word and Portable Document Format (PDF) at http://www.fcc.gov/cgb.dro.

Synopsis

    On August 2, 2005, pursuant to the Commission's directive in the 
Two-line Captioned Telephone Order, FCC 05-141, released July 19, 2005, 
the Interstate TRS Fund Administrator, NECA, submitted the proposed 
allocation factor for inbound two-line captioned telephone calls for 
compensation from the Interstate TRS Fund for the period July 1, 2005 
through June 30, 2006. See letter to the Federal Communications 
Commission Secretary, Marlene H. Dortch from the NECA Director, John 
Ricker, proposing the allocation factor for two-line captioned 
telephone calls.
    In the Two-line Captioned Telephone Order, the Commission adopted 
NECA's proposed methodology for determining the number of inbound two-
line captioned telephone call minutes that will be compensated from the 
Interstate TRS Fund. The Commission noted that for such calls there is 
currently no way for a provider to determine if a particular call is 
interstate or intrastate. The Commission instructed NECA to determine 
and apply, on an annual basis, an allocation factor for inbound two-
line captioned telephone calls that is based on the relationship 
between interstate and international traditional TRS calls and all 
intrastate, interstate, and international traditional TRS calls.
    NECA calculated the factor by using projections of traditional TRS 
minutes for 2005 and 2006 as submitted by relay service providers with 
their annual data submissions in January 2005. Interstate and 
international minutes for both years totaled 24,459,907; local, 
intrastate, interstate and international minutes totaled 213,957,866. 
Dividing interstate and international minutes by total minutes results 
in a proposed interstate factor of 11% for inbound two-line captioned 
telephone minutes. The remaining 89% of minutes would continue to be 
allocated to the intrastate jurisdiction.

Federal Communications Commission.
Jay Keithley,
Deputy Bureau Chief, Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau.
[FR Doc. 05-17523 Filed 9-6-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P