Background
Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) allows persons with hearing or speech disabilities to place and receive telephone calls. A communications assistant (CA) relays the call back and forth between the person with a hearing or speech disability and a voice telephone user. For example, a person with a hearing disability can communicate in text with the CA, while the CA communicates by voice with the other party to the call. The CA repeats in voice what the user has typed, and types to the TRS user what the voice telephone user has said.
There are several types of TRS that consumers can use depending on the nature of the disability and whether they have some hearing and can speak. TRS types include traditional TRS, which uses a text telephone or TTY device and a telephone line, Speech-to-Speech (STS) and Captioned Telephone Service, as well as forms of TRS that use the Internet, specifically Internet Protocol (IP) Relay and Video Relay Service (VRS). IP Captioned Telephone Service is one of the newest forms of TRS. For a description of the various types of TRS, see FCC’s consumer guide.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has ruled that all IP Captioned Telephone Service calls could be compensated from the Interstate TRS Fund. Like all TRS calls, the relay costs associated with IP Captioned Telephone Service are not paid by users. The FCC does not mandate the provision of IP Captioned Telephone Service, and, given the way the service works, exempts it from certain minimum mandatory standards for TRS, such as emergency 911 service, three-way calling and speed dialing.
How IP Captioned Telephone Service Works
IP Captioned Telephone Service is essentially a combination of two other forms of TRS, Captioned Telephone Service and IP Relay. Captioned Telephone Service uses a special telephone that has a text screen to display captions of what the other party to the conversation is saying. It allows a person with hearing loss, but who wants to use his or her own voice, to speak directly to the called party and then listen, to the extent possible, to the other party and simultaneously read captions of what the other party is saying. Unlike traditional TRS, which uses typed text, the CA repeats or revoices what is said, and speech recognition technology automatically transcribes the CA’s voice into text transmitted directly to the user’s captioned telephone text display.
IP Relay is a text-based form of TRS. The CA voices what the IP Relay user has typed, and types to the user what the other party to the call has said. Unlike traditional TRS, however, the first leg of a call – the text – goes from the caller’s computer or other Web-enabled device to the IP Relay center via the Internet, rather than the regular telephone network. To begin a call, the user accesses an IP Relay provider via a webpage. As with traditional TRS, the second leg of the IP Relay call, from the CA to the called party, uses the voice telephone network. For more information on IP Relay, see FCC’s consumer guide.
IP Captioned Telephone Service uses the Internet, rather than the telephone network, to provide the captions of what the other party is saying. Although this service can be provided in a variety of ways, the user (who generally can speak and has some residual hearing) may make a voice to voice call to another party on a standard telephone using the normal telephone network. The called party’s response is directed from the user’s telephone to a personal computer or similar device that routes it to the IP Captioned Telephone Service provider via the Internet. The provider then sends back to the user’s computer the text of what was spoken. As a result, the user can both hear, to the extent possible, the called party’s response over the normal telephone network and simultaneously read the text routed via the Internet to the user’s computer or similar device.
Benefits of IP Captioned Telephone Service
IP Captioned Telephone Service allows consumers to use a computer or similar device, rather than a specialized captioned telephone, to make captioned telephone calls. As a result, the service can become more widely available to consumers. In addition, it takes advantage of the increased availability of computers and Internet connections in the work place to permit persons with hearing loss to more effectively use the telephone in their jobs. Furthermore, captions can be displayed on a computer screen in large text, variable fonts and color, thus accommodating a wider group of disabled users, including individuals with hearing disabilities who also have low vision.
Emergency Call Handling Procedures
The FCC has adopted interim procedures for IP captioned telephone services (CTS) that require, at minimum, to automatically and immediately transfer an emergency call to the appropriate 911 Call Center or assure that appropriate personnel are notified of the emergency.
IP CTS providers must also: 1) prioritize emergency calls over nonemergency calls; 2) provide the emergency personnel name of the TRS user and location of the emergency, the name of the provider, the CA’s call-back and identification number; and 3) re-establish contact between the caller and emergency personnel if the call is disconnected.
Filing a Complaint with the FCC
If you have a problem with IP Captioned Telephone 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 an online complaint form. You can also file your complaint with the FCC’s Consumer Center by 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, DC 20554.
What to Include in Your Complaint
The best way to provide all the information the FCC needs to process your complaint is to thoroughly complete the online complaint form. When you open the online complaint form, you will be asked a series of questions that will take you to the particular section of the form you need to complete. If you do not use the online complaint form, your complaint should at least indicate:
- your name, address, email 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 IP Captioned Telephone 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 website. For information about other telecommunications issues, visit the FCC’s Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau website, or contact the Consumer Center using the information provided for filing a complaint.
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Internet Protocol (IP) Captioned Telephone Service Guide (pdf)
