All..
You all will find this interesting! Basically 9 TRS providers – ATT, CAC, CSDVRS, GoAmerica, LifeLinks, Snap Telecomm, Soreonson Comm, Sprint NexTel, and Viable have petitioned the FCC to clarify that multiple CAs (Communication Assistants – really same as telephone interpreters) which include video Interpreters, TTY CAs, STS CAs, IP Relay CAs, deaf blind Interpreters, Captioned Telephone Interpreters and multiple services services and technologies (all relay features) should be reimbursable.
For example right now TTY users are not able to communicate with VRS users. STS users not able to communicate with VRS users, Captioned Telephone users not able to communicate with VRS Users, and so on. Petition says that combining TTY and VRS into one service should be reimbursable; in other words, when a TTY user connects to a VRS user (both deaf), petition says the fund should pay for both CA of TTY service and Video Interpreter for VRS.
The petition argues that these are necessary to achieve functionally equivalent telephone services based on their interpretation of relay regulations.
It is obvious that the Relay providers stand to make more money to do these services if approved by the FCC.
Click to this link, and read their rationale why these type of multiple-CA services should be reimbursable.
Petition of Clarification
If the FCC does rule that these type of services are reimbursable; my personal opinion is that I think the FCC needs to be very careful; that is, they need to spell out regulation clearly and have the capacity to enforce regulations against abusing practices because I can see a few vendors would take advantage of that and ramp up the unnecessary minutes to make lot of money. The FCC has not succeeded in clamping down unethical and illegal practices by a few VRS providers (at least so far not yet), so I would wonder how the FCC would handle abuses for the new services if the order is given to reimburse these services.
Also, it also would mean the cost of providing relay service would go up even more, possibly passing the red flag of 1 billion dollar. How would the decision makers (the FCC Commissioners, Congress, or even White House) feel about that? Oh, what about state relay regulators? In times of economic hardship nowadays, most states likely will not support that.
Even so, the petitioners do have a case. I think the eyes will be on the FCC now and the burden will be on them. Personally, I kinda support the petition, but I would want to see the FCC Enforcement Bureau take actions on unethical and illegal practices of relay vendors first before approving that.
Tell me, typically upfront Readers of Edsalert, what you think?
Ed
eyes open & thumbs up,
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