The calling party calls the relay
center by dialing 711 or some other number and asks the CA
to call the person with a speech disability.
Alternatives
Persons with speech disabilities may
use a TTY to make a TRS call, but many such people have
some type of physical limitation that makes typing into a
text input device difficult. STS offers an alternative to
a TTY or other text input device when the only other
option would be not to communicate via telephone at all.
Some STS providers also offer STS service for Spanish to
Spanish callers.
Mandatory Minimum Standards for STS
The FCC imposes mandatory minimum
standards on providers of all forms of TRS, such as
ensuring user confidentiality, making service available 24
hours a day, seven days a week, and answering 85 percent
of calls within 10 seconds. The FCC also imposes certain
additional requirements on STS providers. For example, STS
CAs must remain with a call for a minimum of 15 minutes.
In addition:
-
An STS CA may, at the request of
the user, retain information from a particular call in
order to facilitate the completion of consecutive calls.
The user may ask the TRS CA to retain such information,
or the CA may ask the user if he or she wants the CA to
repeat the same information during subsequent calls. The
STS CA may retain the information only for as long as it
takes to complete the subsequent calls.
-
STS providers must offer STS users
the option to maintain at the relay center a list of
names and telephone numbers that the STS user commonly
calls. When the STS user requests one of these names,
the CA must repeat the name and state the telephone
number to the STS user. This information must be
transferred to any new STS provider.
For further information on the TRS
mandatory minimum standards, and other types of TRS in
addition to STS, go to
www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/trs.html.
Filing a Complaint with the FCC
If you have a problem with STS Relay
Service, first try to resolve it with the provider. If you
are unable to resolve it directly, you can file a
complaint with the FCC. There is no charge for filing a
complaint. You can file your complaint using the on-line
complaint Form 2000C found on the FCC Web site at
www.fcc.gov/cgb/complaints.html. You can also file
your complaint with the FCC’s Consumer Center by e-mailing
fccinfo@fcc.gov;
calling 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322) voice or
1-888-TELL-FCC (1-888-835-5322) TTY; faxing
1-866-418-0232; or writing to:
Federal Communications
Commission
Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau
Consumer Inquiries and Complaints Division
445 12th Street, SW
Washington, D.C. 20554.
What to Include in Your Complaint
The best way to provide all the
information the FCC needs to process your complaint is to
complete fully the on-line complaint Form 2000C. If you do
not use the on-line complaint Form 2000C, your complaint,
at a minimum, should indicate:
-
your name, address, e-mail address,
and phone number where you can be reached;
-
whether you are filing a complaint
on behalf of another party, and if so, the party’s name,
address, email address, day time phone number, and your
relationship to the party;
-
preferred format or method of
response (letter, fax, voice phone call, email, TRS,
TTY, ASCII text, audio recording, or Braille);
-
that your complaint is about TRS;
-
the name, address, and telephone
number (if known) of the company or companies involved
with your complaint; and
-
a brief description of your
complaint and the resolution you are seeking, and a full
description of the equipment or service you are
complaining about, including date of purchase, use, or
attempt to use.
For More Information
For more information
about STS Relay Service or TRS, or to learn more about FCC
programs to promote access to telecommunications services
for people with disabilities, visit the FCC’s Disability
Rights Office Web site at
www.fcc.gov/cgb/dro. For information about other
telecommunications issues, visit the FCC’s Consumer &
Governmental Affairs Bureau Web site at
www.fcc.gov/cgb, or contact the FCC’s Consumer Center
using the information provided for filing a complaint. |
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