Ed’s Telecom Alert

All..

This just came out!   The FCC has issued an "Order"  on Reimbursement Rates for relay services.  The rates are to be frozen

This includes VRS which has been the hottest issue for for a few months and Sorenson had launched one of the largest campaign I’ve ever seen to exhort people to file concerns on reduction of reimbursement rates to the FCC.   Apparently this outreach blitz worked; it involved a well designed brochure that has ready-made card to be mailed to the FCC Chair and a video clip that was mailed to all VRS users. 

I am impressed because I know only NECA and FCC know the actual cost breakdown and many who filed with the FCC did so because they believed what VRS provider told them; not based on actual cost breakdown.   Corporation industry is the victor; hopefully result of that will provide better service for us VRS users.  

This is one of the few issues that I know that most of other VRS providers also cheered on and supported the underlying message - they may not do it publically, but in talking with a few of them they support freezing or increasing the rate. 

Click to this to read the full burnt of the Order  Rates Frozen

Reason for freezing reimbursement rates was that the NECA who is the fund administrator of relay service had submitted  4 (four)different accounting methodology to determine the reimbursement rates; the FCC needed more time to determine which of the methodology is best thus froze the rates. 

The Order explained each relay services; traditional TTY relay service, Speech to Speech, Internet Relay, and VRS.  You will see diferent rates explaing for each.   I will focus on VRS rates since that was the hottest topic the last few months.   NECA submitted 6 (six) different rates for VRS.    You will see terms adjusted and unadjusted quite a bit; adjusted means some costs are not factored in (disallowed) and unadjusted means total cost.  

• one: unadjusted provider data: $6.77 vs $6.43 without marketing and outreach
• two: provider data with disallowances $6.14 vs $5.80 without marketing and outreach
• three: 2006 actual cost and demand $4.55 vs $4.48 without marketing and outreach
• four: 2006 actual cost and demand adjusted for inflation: $4.76 vs $4.54 without marketing and outreach
• five: provider’s unadjusted cost data and NECA’s projected demand: $6.37 vs $6.08 without marketing and outreach
• six: providers’ cost data with disallowances and NECA’s projected demand: %5.77 vs $5.49 without marketing and outreach

Note: look at the #4.  This is actual cost and demand and compare that to the 2006 VRS rate of $6.64.  

The order is an eye opener.  

eyes open & thumbs up,

Ed
RT Admin.

All..

This is a link to Public Notice (PN) by the FCC alerting states that 5 year state certification for provision of TRS will expire on July 26, 2008.   The PN provides timeline to allow states to prepare and submit comprehensive report to the FCC for recertification.   The report is due on October 2007.

FCC PN on State Cert

The PN also includes §64.604 Mandatory Minimum Standards and §64.605 State Certification. 

If you have wondered what the federal regulations require of relay providers, this is a good one to check out.  It lists all the requirements that ALL relay providers including VRS, Captioning Telephone VCO (CapTel), STS, Internet Relay, and, of course, traditional TTY relay service MUST comply with.   Some of the rules are waived due to technical issues.  One example of that is the typing speed of 60 wpm.  Obviously, Video Interpreters cannot do that so they are waived from that.  Answer speed is another one where the FCC changed the requirement.  And so on.

The  §64.605 section outlines what states need to do to ensure that they continue to be certified.  

eyes open & thumbs up,

Ed

 All..

This is a FCC Public Notice link reminding TRS providers and states to submit annual report on complaint that is due on July 2, 2007.   When all the reports are submitted and reviewed, the FCC will post a link to check out each state’s complaint report.  I will try to post the link when that is done, and I strongly urge y’all to review ur state annual complaint report.  

The second part of the Public Notice is to inform TRS programs and Interstate TRS providers of their obligation to keep the FCC informed of contact information and any substantive changes in their relay program.  

Consumer Complaint Report

eyes open & thumbs up,

Ed