VIDEO RELAY USERS UPDATE: Calif. Group Files Petition, FCC Now Accepting Comments

From: CSD - Mar 16, 2005

**PLEASE SHARE THIS MESSAGE WITH OTHER VRS USERS, AND DEAF COMMUNITY MEMBERS**

We Want To Make VRS Calls Easier

The California Coalition of Agencies Serving the Deaf and Hard of Hearing filed a petition on February 15, 2005. They request that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) order VRS providers to stop limiting VRS customers to one VRS provider/company.

[Use link near end of email]

The California VRS consumer group says that one VRS provider/company prevents VRS users from using its equipment to access other VRS providers in these two ways:

1. EQUIPMENT BLOCKING – setting up videophone equipment to make it very difficult to make outgoing or incoming calls;

2. CONTRACTUAL BLOCKING – in order to receive equipment, customers must agree not to use services of other VRS providers.

The California VRS consumer group explained many problems that are caused when “interoperability” is not allowed. Because of these “interoperability” issues, not all videophone equipment can work with each other:

FUNCTIONALLY EQUIVALENT SERVICE
EMERGENCY ACCESS
TWO DEVICES [not functionally equivalent]
INCOMING CALLS
SEAMLESS AND INTEGRATED NETWORK
PUBLIC FUNDS
INTERPRETER EFFICIENCIES
ANTI-COMPETITIVE PRACTICE
DIALING EQUALITY
NON-DISCRIMINATORY SERVICES

Signed Video Version and written text explaining these problems is available at http://www.c-s-d.org/enews/03152005a.htm

LET THE FCC KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!

The FCC has given 30 days for public comments to the filing by the California Coalition of Agencies Serving the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. We have established a link on our website where you can send your comments to the FCC.
DEADLINE for public comments: APRIL 1, 2005.

Click (Or Copy & Paste) URL:
http://www.c-s-d.org/enews/03152005a.htm

CSD
Community & Media Relations
www.c-s-d.org