NEWS
Report No.  DC 95-110           ACTION IN DOCKET CASE              August 29, 1995
                                    
                  COMMON CARRIER BUREAU ADOPTS PLAN FOR
            TELECOMMUNICATIONS RELAY SERVICES PAYPHONE CALLS
                           (CC DOCKET 90-571)
                                    
     The Common Carrier Bureau has adopted a plan to ensure that payphones are
accessible for persons with hearing or speech disabilities.  Under this plan,
Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) users would be able to make (1) local payphone
calls free of charge and (2) long-distance calls through calling cards or prepaid (debit) cards,
with rates not to exceed those that would apply to equivalent coin sent-paid calls.  The Order
also requires carriers and TRS providers to coordinate with representatives of the TRS user
community to develop and implement programs to educate TRS users about the plan and to
make calling cards and/or prepaid cards available to TRS users.

     TRS is a telephone transmission service that allows persons with hearing and/or
speech disabilities to use the telephone without the other party to the telephone call to use
special equipment.  TRS centers use special staff and equipment to relay conversations
between persons using text telephones and persons using traditional telephones.  Under Title
IV of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, each common carrier providing telephone
voice transmission services is required to provide TRS throughout the area it serves,
beginning July 26, 1993.  

     The plan adopted by the Bureau will be in effect until August 26, 1997, at which time
the Commission will determine what further action should be taken regarding TRS coin sent-
paid calls.  Carriers are required, during this two year period, to monitor technical
developments and collect data on payphone use and to file status reports at twelve and
eighteen month addressing the effectiveness of the current plan and the cost and technical
feasibility of providing TRS coin sent-paid service.  

     Action by the Common Carrier Bureau August 25, 1995 of  Memorandum Opinion
and Order (DA 95-1874).

                                  - FCC -

News Media contact:  Susan Lewis Sallet at (202) 418-1500.
Common Carrier Bureau contacts:  Pam Gerr (202) 418-2320