05-17523. Telecommunications Relay Services and Speech-to-Speech Services for Individuals With Hearing and Speech Disabilities

AGENCY:

Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In this document, the Commission seeks comment on the allocation factor proposed by the National Exchange Carrier Association (NECA) for determining the number of inbound two-line captioned telephone minutes that should be compensated from the Interstate Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) Fund.

DATES:

Comments are due on or before September 22, 2005. Reply comments are due on or before October 7, 2005.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments identified by [docket number and/or rulemaking number], by any of the following methods:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
• Federal Communications Commission's Web site: http://www.fcc.gov/​cgb/​ecfs/​. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
• Mail: Parties who choose to file by paper should also submit their comment on diskette. These diskettes should be submitted, along with three paper copies to Dana Jackson, Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau, Disability Rights Office, 445 12th Street, SW., Room 3-C418, Washington, DC 20554. Such a submission should be on a 3.5 inch diskette format in an IBM compatible format using Word 97 or compatible software. The diskette should be accompanied by a cover letter and should be submitted in “read only” mode. The diskette should be clearly labeled with the commenter's name, proceeding (including the lead docket number in this case (CG Docket No. 03-123), type of pleading (comment or reply comment), date of submission, and the name of the electronic file on the diskette. The label should also include the following phrase: “Disk Copy—Not an Original.” Each diskette should contain only one party's pleadings, preferable in a single electronic file. In addition, commenters must send diskette copies to the Commission's contractor at Portals II, 445 12th Street, SW., Room CY-B402, Washington, DC 20554.
• People with Disabilities: Contact the FCC to request reasonable accommodations (accessible format documents, sign language interpreters, CART, etc.) by e-mail: [e-mail] or phone [phone] or TTY: [phone].

For detailed instructions for submitting comments and additional information on the rulemaking process, see the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Dana Jackson, [phone] (voice), [phone] (TTY), or e-mail [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

This is a summary of the Commission's document DA 05-2346, released August 24, 2005. Pursuant to §§ 1.415 and 1.419 of the Commission rules, 47 CFR 1.415 and 1.419, interested parties may file comments on or before the dates indicated on the first page of this document. Comments may be filed using: (1) The Commission's Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS), (2) The Federal Government's eRulemaking Portal, or (3) by filing paper copies. See Electronic Filing of Documents in Rulemaking Proceedings, 63 FR 24121, May 1, 1998.

• Electronic Filers: Comments may be filed electronically using the Internet by accessing the ECFS: http://www.fcc.gov/​cgb/​ecfs/​ or the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Filers should follow the instructions provided on the Web site for submitting comments.
• For ECFS filers, if multiple docket or rulemaking numbers appear in the caption of this proceeding, filers must transmit one electronic copy of the comments for each docket or rulemaking number referenced in the caption. In completing the transmittal screen, filers should include their full name, U.S. Postal Service mailing address, and the applicable docket or rulemaking number. Parties may also submit an electronic comment by Internet e-mail. To get filing instructions, filers should send an e-mail to [e-mail], and include the following words in the body of the message, “get form.” A sample form and directions will be sent in response. All comments received are viewable by the general public at any time through the Web site.
• Paper Filers: Parties who choose to file by paper must file an original and four copies of each filing. If more than one docket or rulemaking number appears in the caption of this proceeding, filers must submit two additional copies for each additional docket or rulemaking number. Filings can be sent by hand or messenger delivery, by commercial overnight courier, or by first-class or overnight U.S. Postal Service mail (although the Commission continues to experience delays in receiving U.S. Postal Service mail). All filings must be addressed to the Commission's Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission.
• The Commission's contractor will receive hand-delivered or messenger-delivered paper filings 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 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, Express, and Priority mail should be addressed to 445 12th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20554.

The full text of document DA 05-2346, NECA s submission, and copies of any subsequently filed documents relating to 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. Document DA 05-2346, NECA's submission, and copies of subsequently filed documents in this matter may also be purchased from the Commission's contractor at Portals II, 445 12th Street, SW., Room CY-B402, Washington, DC 20554. Customers may contact the Commission's contractor at their Web site http://www.bcpiweb.com or call 1-800-378-3160. A copy of NECA's submission may also be found by searching ECFS at http://www.fcc.gov/​cgb/​ecfs (insert CG Docket No. 03-123 into the proceeding block).

To request materials in accessible formats for people with disabilities (Braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), send an e-mail to [e-mail] or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at [phone] (voice) or [phone] (TTY). Document DA 05-2346 can also be downloaded in Word and Portable Document Format (PDF) at http://www.fcc.gov/​cgb.dro.

Synopsis

On August 2, 2005, pursuant to the Commission's directive in the Two-line Captioned Telephone Order, FCC 05-141, released July 19, 2005, the Interstate TRS Fund Administrator, NECA, submitted the proposed allocation factor for inbound two-line captioned telephone calls for compensation from the Interstate TRS Fund for the period July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2006. See letter to the Federal Communications Commission Secretary, Marlene H. Dortch from the NECA Director, John Ricker, proposing the allocation factor for two-line captioned telephone calls.

In the Two-line Captioned Telephone Order, the Commission adopted NECA's proposed methodology for determining the number of inbound two-line captioned telephone call minutes that will be compensated from the Interstate TRS Fund. The Commission noted that for such calls there is currently no way for a provider to determine if a particular call is interstate or intrastate. The Commission instructed NECA to determine and apply, on an annual basis, an allocation factor for inbound two-line captioned telephone calls that is based on the relationship between interstate and international traditional TRS calls and all intrastate, interstate, and international traditional TRS calls.

NECA calculated the factor by using projections of traditional TRS minutes for 2005 and 2006 as submitted by relay service providers with their annual data submissions in January 2005. Interstate and international minutes for both years totaled 24,459,907; local, intrastate, interstate and international minutes totaled 213,957,866. Dividing interstate and international minutes by total minutes results in a proposed interstate factor of 11% for inbound two-line captioned telephone minutes. The remaining 89% of minutes would continue to be allocated to the intrastate jurisdiction.

Federal Communications Commission.

Jay Keithley,

Deputy Bureau Chief, Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau.