Ed’s Telecom Alert

All..

Kelby Brick explained very clearly the powerful and liberating new TN that the FCC recently released.   View this and gain better undersanding of exactly what all this is about.  Nicely done, Kelby.  

http://www.goamerica.com/10digit/

You know how it is, no matter how carefully, how clearly you explained that to contact you, they (doctor, mechanic, technicians, etc) must use relay service, and they always call the home phone number and not use relay service and you get voice calls.  [grrrr]

After Dec 31, 2008, you will be able to:

• Receive VRS calls from dumb technicians who will come to your house one hour before they do anything:
  • Cable
  • New Refrigerator
  • Check out Septic Tank
  • See if you’re at home
  • Tell you that ur car is fixed
• Receive VRS calls from Doctors or Pharmacies
  • That your prescription is ready
  • That you’ll live, not maligant
  • That you’ll die

The beauty of that is you don’t even have to explain that this number will get to a VRS provider.  Just give technicians/doctors/etc. the new TN.  Nice, indeed! 

Not only that, you can give same TN to deaf that you gave to hearing persons and expect the call to connect you via video and with hearies connect via VRS of your preferred choice.  Nice!

Can also use OJO to call a VP user.  Really nice!

With all the hullabaloo, let’s not forget the REAL reason why the Rule & Order by the FCC to form TN is.   It is to ensure that VRS/IP users are "automatically" identifed as to who and where they live when making an emergency calls by dialing 9-1-1.  

Thanks to the FCC and all people who made this possible.    I would like to take a note that we all should thank Sheri Mutti for being passionate and pushing this issue stubbornly and finally see Emergency Acess for Internet-based relay service as it should be.   Hats off and kudos to you, Sheri! 

eyes open & thumbs up,

Ed B

All..

Click to this Sorenson’s Newsletter and watch Pat Nola sign.   He did it not too badly.   Clear and easy to understand; just right speed and gets his points across.

Sorenson’s Newsletter

I always appreciate hearing persons at the administrative stratosphere (CEOs, Presidents, VP, etc) take time to learn sign language.   Mike Ligas, who is vice president of Sprint Relay also signs.  You can carry communication with Ligas in sign language and I’ve done that numerous times.  I look forward to communicating with Pat Nola person to person in sign language.  

I am not going to question why they did so; I’ll be positive and simply say that they just want to be able to communicate with us deaf people.  Kudos to them and to all other hearing persons who take the time to learn ASL.   THANK YOU!

Putting above issue aside, Nola’s signed message is that new 800 number called DirectVP which makes it possible for hearing persons to call deaf.   I know the intention is good.  I do question why at this time especially when the Rule & Order from the FCC will make it possible for deaf/hoh to receive TN by Dec 2008 and this TN will make it possible for BOTH deaf and hearing persons to use TN; in other words, deaf/hoh gets a TN, and gives that TN to a hearing person who can call and automatically connect to the deaf via preferred VRS provider; and the deaf/hoh can give to another deaf/hoh this SAME TN and be able to automatically connect to each other.

Maybe SorensonVRS did that to meet need during the temporary time frame between now until Dec 2008? If so, good for them.  If I understood the R&O by the FCC right, the FCC will not reimburse these 800 telephone numbers for VRS after Dec 2008.    

eyes open & thumbs up,

Ed B

All.

Right after the FCC released Rule & Order of 10-Digit TN and Emergency Access along with Further Notice issues, GoAmerica and AT&T were quick to release a press news on their intend to demonstrate the 10-Digit TN. 

GoAmerica and AT&T, will demonstrate 10-Digit which will be fully Interoperable between VRS providers.  Click and be excited!

Article Showcase of Demo TN

Be aware that by now, there are two methods out there now; CSDVRS’s ONS and this one.   Rule & Order by the FCC has essentially rejected CSDVRS’s ONS methodology.   The method proposed by Joint Venture will be the "building blocks" for the Ten-Digit TN and Emergency Access methodology.  So the demonstration will give y’all taste of what the future TN system will look like.  

Unfortunately, I won’t be able to go to the NAD Conference.   Those of you who will go, do let us know what you think of it.

eyes open & thumbs up,

Ed B