I stand corrected. A few of the VRS providers do provide real 800/866 phone numbers.

However, it is not a number that emergency centers will recognize and know who you are. The new TN (with area code - not 800/866 - and 7 regional digit phone number) will make it possible for Emergency Centers to know “automatically” who and what you are. SorensonVRS and a couple other VRS providers have a way to identify, but not thru automatic system like regular telephone number. The new Rule and Order will require that.

Thanks for pointing this out.

eyes open & thumbs up,

Ed B.

CSDVRS has been explaining customers that they are getting a real number from the telephone company.

Thanks

I don’t think I answered ur question. You have different vp in ur house, does that mean you will get different ph nbrs for each vp with this system? I am now trying to find out answer to that. I got partial answer, and so far my impression is that one number for all vp in ur house. I’m not sure of the technolical difficulties of that, though.

Hopefully we’ll learn more as we go on.

Ed

I believe that one will get TN from VRS provider. I don’t think there will be any charges for that/monthly or otherwise - at least to my knowledge.

Ed B

I have a question about TN. The idea of having TN is exciting. Does this mean the ownership of TN is required through a telephone company like hearing people do with their telephone company? (paying monthly fee for telephone service and his or her TN)

Best,
ML

It is slightly different than NexTalk in the sense that this FCC rule and order requires using “real” number where emergency dispatchers will recognize who you and where you are calling from. I think NexTalk uses proxy number. FCc will require area code, not 800 or 888, and then rest of 7 digit ph nbr that is right for your area.

One thing I’m not sure about is the portablity of the numbers. What if you move from Maine to Texas, will you keep the same ph nbr? In reading rule and oder, it seems you will keep the same ph nbr, so that begs the question on what about area code? There are still lot of questions that I do not have answer to yet.

eyes open & thumbs up,

Ed

Perhaps a clarification is needed. You will pick one VRS provider as your preferred VRS provider. Then you get the 10 digit ph nbr that is the “real” phone number. Later you want to change ur VRS provider as ur “preferred” VRS provider, all you need to do is call new one, and change over…and you get to keep your same 10 digit phone number. No need to change the ph nbr.

Anyway, Larry got the idea right.

The following is based on “assumption”. Each VRS provider - supposedly - will have its own 800 number (instead of IP address) where VRS User who had chosen one VRS provider as its preferred choice can use the other ph nbr provided by different VRS provider.

Paul, that is the beauty of the numbering system. We do not have to explain to hearies; just give the ten-digit phone number to hearing person and the number will automatically go to deaf person’s home or work thru VRS. Video Interpreter may need to explain the VRS procedure to hearing person if he or she never used it before.

eyes open & thumbs up,

Ed B

Deaf to deaf: Dial 10 digit number. Which VP the two deaf persons use doesn’t matter.

Deaf to VRS: Deaf can call any VRS provider. Not clear whether the call to VRS provider is via VRS provider’s IP address or VRS providers 10 digit phone number like with Sorenson VRS.

Hearing to Deaf: Hearing calls VRS provider that Deaf person chooses via deaf person’s 10 digit VP number. It goes to VRS provider deaf person registers with. VRS provider VPs deaf person. If hearing person prefers a VRS provider not chosen by deaf person, a work around like what was set up to give hearing person a preliminary number to dial a telephone company that is not the person’s long distance carrier will be available.

A neutral third party will have the data base for linking the called person’s 10 digit VP number to the Internet protocol (IP) address to make the connections work. All VRS providers will be able to tap into the data base, when necessary, to connect the calls. If I understand it correctly, Sorenson as a server for all VP100/200 has the data base to link the VP100/200 10 digit numbers to the IP addresses. But it doesn’t work with other video phones like the Ojo (Snap VRS) and D-Link because the 10 digit phone numbers registered with these VPs are NOT in the Sorenson VP100/200 server data base.And, of course, since Sorenson doesn’t qualify as a neutral party, they cannot be the third party server.