“This page is a digitally archived AccessInfo Announcement”

On August 5, 2020, the FCC released a Report and Order eliminating the requirements that telecommunications relay service (TRS) providers offer “equal access” to long distance services and various “billing options” (e.g., collect calls) to use with relay services.  Today, such features are not offered with most voice services and so are no longer needed to provide TRS that is functionally equivalent with voice services.  The FCC also decided that, for the next renewal cycle, which is a few years off, it will no longer publish notice of applications for state TRS program certification applications in the Federal Register, but will continue to post these notices on its website and in its electronic document management system (EDOCS).

Report and Order:
URL: https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-eliminates-three-legacy-telecommunications-relay-services-rules
PDF: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-20-105A1.pdf
Word: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-20-105A1.docx
Text: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-20-105A1.txt

News Release:
PDF: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-365978A1.pdf
Word: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-365978A1.docx
Text: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-365978A1.txt

General information on TRS is available at https://www.fcc.gov/trs.  For further information on this item, please contact Bill Wallace, Disability Rights Office, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, FCC, at (202) 418-2716, or William.Wallace@fcc.gov.  Individuals who use videophones and are fluent in American Sign Language (ASL) may call the FCC’s ASL Consumer Support Line at (844) 432

Updated:
Tuesday, January 26, 2021