[Federal Register: July 28, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 144)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 44970-44971]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr28jy04-15]
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
47 CFR Part 64
[CC Docket 98-67; DA 04-2061]
Reminder Regarding Upcoming Deadlines for Waivers of
Telecommunications Relay Service Rules for Captioned Telephone
Providers
AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.
ACTION: Final rule; expiration of waivers.
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SUMMARY: In this document, the Commission reminds Telecommunications
Relay Service (TRS) providers who offer captioned telephone Voice Carry
Over (VCO) service that the one-year waiver of the requirement that
they offer access via
[[Page 44971]]
711 to captioned telephone VCO service for inbound calls made to a
captioned telephone user expires at midnight on July 31, 2004.
Providers are also reminded that the annual reports required for the
various three-year waivers of TRS mandatory minimum standards set forth
in the Declaratory Ruling are due on August 2, 2004.
DATES: One year VCO waivers expire July 31, 2004. Annual reports for
various three-year waivers of TRS mandatory minimum standards are due
on August 2, 2004.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Traci Randolph, (202) 418-0569
(voice), (202) 418-0537 (TTY), or e-mail traci.randolph@fcc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August 1, 2003, the Commission released a
Declaratory Ruling, published at 68 FR 55898, September 29, 2003, in CC
Docket No. 98-67; FCC 03-190. In the Declaratory Ruling, the Commission
clarified that certain TRS mandatory minimum standards do not apply to
captioned telephone VCO service, and waived other TRS mandatory
standards for captioned telephone VCO service, for all current and
future captioned telephone VCO service providers, for the same period
of time beginning on the release date of the Declaratory Ruling. This
is a summary of the Commission's Public Notice, DA 04-2061, released
July 9, 2004. Annual reports required to be filed pursuant to the
captioned telephone VCO service Declaratory Ruling should be sent by
hand or messenger delivery, by electronic media, by commercial
overnight courier, or by first-class or overnight U.S. Postal Service
mail (although we continue to experience delays in receiving U.S.
Postal mail). The Commission's contractor, Natek, Inc. will receive
hand-delivered or messenger-delivered paper filings or electronic media
for the Commission's Secretary at 236 Massachusetts Avenue, NE., Suite
110, Washington, DC 20002. The filing hours at this location are 8 a.m.
to 7 p.m. All hand deliveries must be held together with rubber bands
or fasteners. Any envelopes must be disposed of before entering the
building. Commercial and electronic media sent by overnight mail (other
than U.S. Postal Service Express Mail and Priority Mail) must be sent
to 9300 East Hampton Drive, Capitol Heights, MD 20743. U.S. Postal
Service first-class mail, Express Mail, and Priority Mail should be
addressed to 445 12th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20554. All filings
must be addressed to the Commission's Secretary, Marlene H. Dortch,
Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th
Street, SW., Room TW-B204, Washington, DC 20554. When filing annual
reports, please reference CC Docket No. 98-67.
Copies of any subsequently filed documents in this matter will be
available for public inspection and copying during regular business
hours at the FCC Reference Information Center, Portals II, 445 12th
Street, SW., Room CY-A257, Washington, DC 20554. They may also be
purchased from the Commission's duplicating contractor, Best Copy and
Printing, Inc. (BCPI), Portals II, 445 12th Street, SW., Room CY-B402,
Washington, DC 20554. Customers may contact BCPI, Inc. at their Web
site: http://www.bcpiweb.com or call 1-800-378-3160.
To request materials in accessible formats for people with
disabilities (braille, large print, electronic files, audio format),
send an e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer & Governmental
Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530 (voice) or (202) 418-0432 (TTY). This
Public Notice can also be downloaded in Word and Portable Document
Format (PDF) at http://www.fcc.gov/cgb.dro.
Synopsis
As background, TRS, as mandated by Title IV of the Americans with
Disabilities Act of 1990, makes the telephone system accessible to
individuals with hearing or speech disabilities. See 47 U.S.C. 225.
This is accomplished through TRS facilities that are staffed by
specially trained CAs using special technology. The CA relays
conversations between persons using various types of assistive
communication devices and persons who do not require such assistive
devices. On August 1, 2003, the Commission released the captioned
telephone Voice Carry Over (VCO) service Declaratory Ruling finding
that: (1) Captioned telephone VCO service is a type of TRS; (2)
eligible providers of such service are eligible to recover their costs
in accordance with section 225 of the Communications Act; (3) certain
TRS mandatory minimum standards do not apply to the provision of
captioned telephone VCO service; and (4) certain TRS mandatory minimum
standards are waived for captioned telephone VCO service for certain
time periods.
Federal Communications Commission.
P. June Taylor,
Chief of Staff, Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau.
[FR Doc. 04-17238 Filed 7-27-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P