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Background
Through a series of orders in 2008, the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) adopted rules regarding the assignment of
ten-digit geographic telephone numbers to persons with hearing and/or speech
disabilities who use Video Relay Service (VRS) or Internet Protocol (IP)
Relay, two forms of Internet-based Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS). A
ten-digit geographic telephone number is the same kind of telephone number
that has been used for decades by voice telephone users to subscribe to
local telephone service. The FCC adopted the ten-digit numbering
requirements in conjunction with new emergency 911 call handling
requirements for VRS and IP Relay providers.
Pursuant to these rules, many eligible VRS and IP Relay
users have now registered with a VRS or an IP Relay provider (a “default
provider”) to obtain a ten-digit geographic telephone number. As a result,
these VRS and IP Relay users have been able to make calls from and receive
calls dialed by voice telephone users to their new ten-digit numbers. Voice
telephone users no longer need to know the VRS or IP Relay user’s IP address
to complete the call.
New Deadline
Users of VRS and/or IP Relay are reminded, if they
have not done so already, to register with the VRS or IP Relay provider of
their choice as soon as possible, and no later than November 12, 2009. After
November 12, 2009, all VRS and IP Relay users must be registered with a
default provider in order to place a non-emergency call through any VRS or
IP Relay provider. In addition, after that date, VRS and IP Relay providers
will no longer complete calls to a “proxy” or “alias” number that may have
been previously obtained from a provider.
Previously, the deadline for registering was June 30,
2009. In late April, however, the majority of VRS and IP Relay providers
asked the FCC to extend the deadline. Therefore, to eliminate any possible
user confusion and address any technical concerns, the FCC delayed the
registration deadline until November 12, 2009.
VRS and IP Relay users are reminded to provide accurate
information about their physical location to their default provider, and to
update this information whenever it changes. Providing this information
ensures that, in an emergency, the selected provider can automatically
connect any 911 call placed by the VRS or IP Relay user to the appropriate
emergency services personnel, including those close to the caller’s
location. Registration with a default provider, including the updating of
users’ location information, is critical to the effective handling of 911
calls.
Emergency Calling Tips for VRS and IP Relay Users
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Make sure you are familiar with your provider’s
procedures for updating your Registered Location, and promptly update the
information if it changes.
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Know any limitations of your service, and have a plan
for making emergency calls in the event of a power or an Internet outage.
You may want to keep a TTY and traditional phone line, or install a backup
power supply.
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Inform children, babysitters, and visitors about using
your VRS or IP Relay service and the limitations, if any, on placing
emergency calls.
Filing a Complaint with the FCC
If you have a problem completing a 911 call through a VRS
or IP Relay provider, notify the provider. You can also file a complaint
with the FCC. There is no charge for filing a complaint. The easiest way to
file a complaint is to go to the FCC’s on-line complaint forms found on the
FCC Web site at
esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm. You will be asked a series of questions
that will take you to the correct form and section of the form for providing
all of the information the FCC needs to process your complaint. You can also
file a complaint with the FCC’s Consumer Center by e-mailing fccinfo@fcc.gov;
calling 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322) voice or 1-888-TELL-FCC
(1-888-835-5322) TTY; faxing 1-866-418-0232; or writing to the FCC at the
following address:
Federal Communications Commission
Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau
Consumer Inquiries and Complaints Division
445 12th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20554.
For More Information
For more information about the FCC’s ten-digit numbering
requirements and E911 procedures for VRS and IP Relay, see the FCC consumer
advisories at
www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/trstendigit-user-meaning.html and
www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/trstendigit.html.
For more information about
TRS, VRS, or IP Relay, or to learn more about FCC programs to promote access
to telecommunications services for people with disabilities, visit the FCC’s
Disability Rights Office Web site at www.fcc.gov/cgb/dro.
For information about other telecommunications issues, visit the FCC’s
Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau Web site at
www.fcc.gov/cgb, or contact the FCC’s Consumer Center using the
information provided for filing a complaint.
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Federal Communications Commission · Consumer
& Governmental Affairs Bureau · 445 12th St. S.W. ·
Washington, DC 20554 |
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1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322) ·
TTY: 1-888-TELL-FCC (1-888-835-5322) · Fax: 1-866-418-0232 · www.fcc.gov/cgb/
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