Ed's Telecom Alert

Broadband Lacking…

edsalert — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:27:07 +0000

All..

Click to this and learn what a study revealed…

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25500947/

Excerpts from the link.

"..attitude rather than availability may be the key reason why more Americans don’t have high-speed"

and

Vint Cert, considered Father of Internet and himself is hard-of-hearing said why he preferred high speed broadband with the following remark "My enthusiasm for video conferencing improved dramatically when all family members had MacBook Pros with built-in video cameras, for example."

Frankly so does many deaf and hard-of-hearing for the same reasons. I bet Vint Cert would try to get a TN from one of the VRS providers when it becomes available.

eyes open & thumbs up,

Ed B

Go America’s Explanation of TN

edsalert — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 17:48:08 +0000

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

FCC Seeking Contractors to do Number Database for 10-Digit TN

edsalert — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 18:36:09 +0000

All..

Hey, that was fast work on the FCC’s part. Below two links will explain the type of service the FCC is seeking.

Contractor - doc

Contractor - pdf

Below is the synoposis of Internet-based TRS Telephone Numbering Directory where bidders can participate.

Synoposis Seeking Contractor

eyes open & thumbs up,

Ed B

FCC Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on STS

edsalert — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 18:22:20 +0000

All..

The FCC is asking for comments on several items regarding Speech-to-Speech. Click this and consider commenting on this worthy notice.

FCC NPRM

The proposed items for comments are:

Same Relay Operator handling of STS call to last 20 min or more
- Purpose of that is RO to get used to voice of STS User
- STS User developing more confidence in RO understanding him/her
STS system to have voice of STS user muted, but allow the called party hear the voice of RO (not the voice of STS user)
Adding option for 7-1-1 where Interactive Voice Response offers option to hit one button that automatically routes to STS station
- Purpose of that is to minimize RO who is not a specialized trained aoperator understanding voice of STS user
- The FCC declines to require that, but wants to hear from STS users whether calling 711 tends to disconnect or not.
The FCC concludes that IP STS is a TRS feature and seeks comments for this tentative conclusion

There are more other items that the FCC is seeking comments on. These above items are the primary area that I’ve identified.

Strongly suggest that in order for the FCC to rule, that STS users make every effort to comment.

By the way, adding option to 711 was first introduced by no other than TEXAS!

eyes open & thumbs up,

Ed B

Pat Nola Signs

edsalert — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:26:04 +0000

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

Demo of Ten-Digit TN by GoAmerica and AT&T

edsalert — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 11:46:00 +0000

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

The FCC Rule & Order for TN and Emergency Access

edsalert — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 19:51:29 +0000

All..

The FCC has finally released a long awaited Rule and Order (R&O) regarding ten-digit telephone number - real telephone numbers, not proxy or aliases - will be assigned to VRS and IP users. Purpose of this real TN is to make it possible for VRS and IP Users call an emergency call and the system will automatically identify the VRS or IP user who they are and where they are. Just like landline phone.

Here is the link.

FCC TN R&O

The R&O is over 160 pages long. So I will try to have series of Vlogs to explain what the R&O is all about.

I’ll start with the obvious…and I know many of you are curious which of the proposals won out. NeuStar with its TRU (Telephone Number for Relay User) proposal, Joint Proposal -AT&T, HOVRS, GoAmerica, and Dash – with its ORD (Open Relay Database) proposal, and CSDVRS with its ONS (One Number System) proposal. Which of the proposals won out?

Ferocious lobbying to the FCC Commissioners and Staff were done by many people and companies; there were lobbying efforts to deaf/hoh Mover and Shakers as well. In the end, it is the majority of deaf/hoh who has indicated the wish for least resistance, least number of changes, and most seamless system to accommodate future upgrades be the ideal system. So the FCC listened and chose ORD as the basic building system to build from. Congratulations to the Join Proposal team for coming up with a proposal that ultimately should be a win-win solution.

As you know I’ve flip-flopped between TRU and ORD, but with inclination towards ORD. The R&O from the FCC helped put weigh on ORD and so I’m now solidly behind ORD.

Be on the lookout for subsequent Vlogs that will expand on some of the issues that will impact you all. So far what I’ve read are exciting changes. If you can’t wait, go ahead and read 160 pages and be enlighten and realize that functional equivalence concept is bit truer with the R&O.

eyes open & thumbs up,

Ed B

Verizon’s Hands Slapped

edsalert — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:18:09 +0000

All..

Not related to relay service, but to consumer’s choices and access to proprietary data by telephone companies to get hold of previous subscribers who changed to a new provider.

FCC Scolds Verizon

I found the article intriguing cuz I can see the same thing happening in Internet-based relay service industry where VRS or IP providers may access their customer database and reach out to these past subscribers or those who do not use their services much. In fact, it happened to me. I got a call from one VRS provider asking me to change over to their 800 phone number. I told the person I prefer to stay with the same VRS provider. Later, I realized where did that person get the vp nbr to reach me? I used to have that VRS provider, but I changed to my current VRS provider. hmmmm and tut tut…

Also the article is interesting that two democrat and two republician voted against FCC Chair Martin. Unusual to see that.

Read on and muse…

eyes open & thumbs up,

Ed B

Do-Not-Fax-Register

edsalert — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 18:25:03 +0000

All..

My first and really only mentor of relay service - way back in 1989 - suggested a link that she felt y’all would appreciate knowing and I agree.

Do-Not-Fax-Register This is good link to read up on junk fax and good info exactly what you need to do and all that.

Junk Fax Complaint Form This is a form to fill out to complain about junk fax you get.

eyes open & thumbs up,

Ed B

Do-Not-Call-Register

edsalert — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 13:38:45 +0000

All..

This bears worth repeating as I get emails and video calls every so often asking for the information on do-not-call registry. I saw this article and thought worth sharing with y’all. It contains a phone number for deaf/hoh. Easier to use Internet, though. Article mentions that just because one is on the do-not-call-list does not guarantee 100% blockage of telemarketers.

Do-Not-Call Article

Ed B