Greg Hlibok, a deaf attorney at the FCC, is the narrator of a very useful series of questions and answers on 10 digit numbering and 911 issues. Below is a link to the FCC website for the videos.

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FCC 10-digit Numbering and 911 Issues Q and A’s
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Note:  This info is quoted verbatim from the FCC website as a courtesy.  The actual link to the webpage is as follows: http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/videorelay.html

Background

Video Relay Service (VRS) is a form of Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) that enables persons with hearing disabilities who use American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate with voice telephone users through video equipment, rather than through typed text. Video equipment links the VRS user with a TRS operator – called a “communications assistant” (CA) – so that the VRS user and the CA can see and communicate with each other in signed conversation. Because the conversation between the VRS user and the CA flows much more quickly than with a text-based TRS call, VRS has become an enormously popular form of TRS. For more information about other forms of TRS, see the FCC’s consumer fact sheet at www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/trs.html.

How VRS Works

VRS, like other forms of TRS, allows persons who are deaf or hard-of-hearing to communicate through the telephone system with hearing persons. The VRS caller, using a television or a computer with a video camera device and a broadband (high speed) Internet connection, contacts a VRS CA, who is a qualified sign language interpreter. They communicate with each other in sign language through a video link. The VRS CA then places a telephone call to the party the VRS user wishes to call. The VRS CA relays the conversation back and forth between the parties — in sign language with the VRS user, and by voice with the called party. No typing or text is involved. A voice telephone user can also initiate a VRS call by calling a VRS center, usually through a toll-free number.

The VRS CA can be reached through the VRS provider’s Internet site, or through video equipment attached to a television. Currently, more than a half dozen providers offer VRS. Like all TRS calls, VRS is free to the caller. VRS providers are compensated for their costs from the Interstate TRS Fund, which the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) oversees.

Benefits of VRS

VRS has quickly become a very popular service. It offers several features not available with the text-based forms of TRS:

* VRS allows those persons whose primary language is ASL to communicate in ASL, instead of having to type what they want to say.

* Because consumers using VRS communicate in sign language, they are able to more fully express themselves through facial expressions and body language, which cannot be expressed in text.

* A VRS call flows back and forth just like a telephone conversation between two hearing persons. For example, the parties can interrupt each other, which they cannot do with a TRS call using a TTY (where the parties have to take turns communicating with the CA).

* Because the conversation flows more naturally back and forth between the parties, the conversation can take place much more quickly than with text-based TRS. As a result, the same conversation is much shorter through VRS than it would be through other forms of text-based TRS.

* VRS calls may be made between ASL users and hearing persons speaking either English or Spanish.

What Consumers Should Know

VRS is different from some of the other forms of TRS in two important ways: (1) the conversation between the VRS user and the CA is made through a video link and sign language, rather than typed text; and (2) the service relies on the Internet, rather than the telephone system, for the connection between the VRS user and the CA. It is a relatively new service and, unlike some other forms of TRS, it is not mandatory. Here are some things you should know:

* Preferential treatment of calls is prohibited. VRS (and TRS) providers must handle calls in the order in which they are received. They cannot selectively answer calls from certain consumers or certain locations.

* Unlike with some of the other forms of TRS, the VRS CA may not be able to offer or handle some call services, such as operator-assisted calls and 900 (pay-per-call) calls.

* For emergency calls (for example, calling the fire or police department), a VRS CA may not be able to automatically direct the call to the appropriate emergency service provider or know the caller’s location. TRS and VRS should not be used for emergency calls. Emergency calls should be placed by dialing 911 directly on a TTY using the regular telephone network.

* The TRS rules do not require you to choose or use only one VRS provider. You can choose any of several different providers of VRS.

* Accepting VRS equipment from one provider does not prohibit you from using another VRS provider on other equipment you may have.

* VRS (and TRS) providers may not offer you financial incentives to use their service or to make more or longer VRS (or TRS) calls.

* VRS is not the same as Video Remote Interpreting (VRI). VRI is the use of an interpreter located at a remote location through a video connection when two people are together and they need an interpreter. VRS may not be used in such circumstances. VRS is a type of telephone call.

Speed-of-Answer and 24/7 Requirements for VRS

The FCC has adopted various rules to improve VRS service. Speed-of-answer requirements were phased in during 2006 and took full effect on January 1, 2007. Now VRS providers must answer 80 percent of all VRS calls within 120 seconds. VRS providers must also offer the service 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Filing a Complaint with the FCC

If you have a problem with VRS, first try to resolve it with the provider. If you are unable to resolve it directly, you can file a complaint with the FCC. There is no charge for filing a complaint. You can file your complaint using an on-line complaint form found at esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm. You can also file your 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:

Federal Communications Commission
Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau
Consumer Inquiries and Complaints Division
445 12th Street, SW
Washington, D.C. 20554.

What to Include in Your Complaint

The best way to provide all the information the FCC needs to process your complaint is to complete fully the on-line complaint form. When you open the on-line complaint form, you will be asked a series of questions that will take you to the particular section of the form you need to complete. If you do not use the on-line complaint form, your complaint, at a minimum, should indicate:

* your name, address, e-mail address, and phone number where you can be reached;

* whether you are filing a complaint on behalf of another party, and if so, the party’s name, address, email address, day time phone number, and your relationship to the party;

* preferred format or method of response (letter, fax, voice phone call, email, TRS, TTY, ASCII text, audio recording, or Braille);

* that your complaint is about TRS;

* the name, address, and telephone number (if known) of the company or companies involved with your complaint; and

* a brief description of your complaint and the resolution you are seeking, and a full description of the equipment or service you are complaining about, including date of purchase, use, or attempt to use.

Note: This info is quoted verbatim from the FCC website as a courtesy. The actual link to the webpage is as follows: http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/trstendigit-user-meaning.html

Overview

Beginning on December 31, 2008, persons with hearing and/or speech disabilities who use Video Relay Service (VRS) or Internet Protocol Relay (IP Relay) – two forms of Internet-based Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) – will be able to obtain ten-digit telephone numbers from their VRS or IP Relay provider. These are the ten-digit telephone numbers used by voice telephone users. New Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules require that VRS and IP Relay users be able to make and receive calls using their new ten-digit numbers, and be able to make 911 calls and have those calls – AND the caller’s ten-digit number and location information – routed to the appropriate public safety answering point, the same enhanced 911 (E911) call center used by voice telephone users.

This advisory contains important information for VRS and IP Relay users on how to obtain a ten-digit number, what the new FCC rules require providers to do, and how the new 911 call handling requirements will result in more functionally-equivalent 911 access for VRS and IP Relay users.

Ten-Digit Geographic Numbers

Ten-digit geographic telephone numbering has been the standard used for voice telephone service in North America for decades. Ten-digit numbers consist of a three-digit area code that corresponds to the consumer’s geographic address, followed by a three-digit number associated with the consumer’s local telephone exchange, then a four-digit number unique to the end user. With a ten-digit geographic number, VRS and IP Relay users can be reached through a single number that will automatically connect to the user’s primary (“default”) VRS or IP Relay provider (see “Registering with a Default Provider” below) and allow the provider to determine the user’s IP address for purposes of delivering incoming calls made to that number. In other words, voice telephone users calling a VRS or IP Relay user through a relay provider will no longer have to dial the telephone number of a provider and then give the provider the current IP address of the VRS or IP Relay user so that the communications assistant (CA) can connect the call. Instead, they will simply dial the VRS or IP Relay user’s assigned ten-digit geographic telephone number.

How to Obtain a Ten-Digit Geographic Number

Beginning December 31, 2008, VRS and IP Relay users may obtain a ten-digit geographic number by contacting and registering with the VRS or IP Relay provider of their choice. This provider becomes the consumer’s “default” provider (see “Registering with a Default Provider” below), although a consumer can still use other providers to make and receive calls using the telephone number for that provider. (See “Placing or Receiving Calls Through An Alternate Provider” below.) Although consumers must choose one default provider, they are free to switch default providers, just as voice telephone users can switch telephone providers. (See “Changing Default Providers” below.)

Who May Obtain a Ten-Digit Geographic Number

Any individual with a hearing and/or speech disability who wishes to use VRS or IP Relay may obtain a ten-digit geographic number. During the registration process, users will be asked to certify that they have a medically-recognized hearing or speech disability that necessitates their use of VRS or IP Relay.

Registering with a Default Provider

Once a VRS or IP Relay user selects and registers with a provider, this provider becomes the user’s “default provider.” When a user registers, the provider must obtain the user’s physical address, or “Registered Location,” at which the VRS or IP Relay service will first be used. Providers also must give users an easy way to update their location information if it changes, without cost or additional equipment. Registration enables VRS and IP Relay providers to match their users’ telephone numbers with the users’ IP addresses to properly route and complete calls, and obtain their users’ physical locations in order to provide E911 service. Thus registration, including the updating of users’ Registered Location information, is critical to ensuring that providers can route all calls properly, especially emergency calls to appropriate emergency services personnel. (See “Emergency 911 Calls Using VRS or IP Relay” below.)

Users may register with any VRS or IP Relay provider they choose, regardless of any prior relationship they may have had with another VRS or IP Relay provider. The default provider will route and deliver all of the user’s incoming and outgoing calls, unless the user chooses to place a call with, or receives a call from, an alternate provider. (See “Placing or Receiving Calls Through An Alternate Provider” below.) Consumers may change their default providers at any time. (See “Changing Default Providers” below.)

Registration Schedule and Transitioning to Ten-Digit Geographic Numbers

Beginning December 31, 2008, any eligible new VRS or IP Relay users (those using VRS or IP Relay for the first time), and any eligible newly-provisioned VRS or IP Relay users, including users to whom a VRS or IP Relay provider delivers a new device or application software download, must register with a provider and obtain a ten-digit geographic number.

For existing users (for example, users who have been issued proxy numbers, or who have been issued devices that connect with a provider’s service), the FCC has established two time periods for the transition to the use of the new ten-digit numbers: a three-month Registration Period, and a six-month Permissive Dialing Period.

Three-Month Registration Period. Because it may not be possible for all current VRS and IP Relay users to register with a default provider by December 31, 2008, the FCC has established a Registration Period to allow existing VRS and IP Relay users to register with a default provider. Existing users may register with the provider of their choice during the three-month period beginning December 31, 2008, and ending March 31, 2009.

Six-Month Permissive Dialing Period. Between December 31, 2008, and June 30, 2009, VRS or IP Relay users who have received ten-digit geographic numbers may still receive calls to their former “proxy” or “alias” numbers. Default providers will provide messages notifying callers of their users’ new ten-digit geographic numbers and advising callers that, after June 30, 2009, users may only be reached by dialing the new number. (Please note that, after June 30, 2009, any toll-free number used to route VRS or IP Relay calls must be directed to the appropriate ten-digit geographic number. (See “Individual Toll-Free Numbers” below.)

After June 30, 2009, all eligible 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.

Placing or Receiving Calls Through an Alternate Provider (“Dial-Around” Calls)

VRS and IP Relay users are not limited to placing or receiving calls through their default provider. They have the right to place or receive calls through any authorized VRS or IP Relay provider, as they have done in the past, without any penalty or retaliation from their default provider. Users can place a call through an alternate provider by clicking on the URL Internet address of the provider, or by dialing the toll-free number of the provider they wish to handle their call. Default providers may not configure their end user equipment to make reaching an alternate provider more difficult after ten-digit numbering than before ten-digit numbering. Similarly, VRS and IP Relay users may receive calls from voice telephone users dialing a provider’s toll-free number and asking to be connected to the VRS or IP Relay user’s ten-digit geographic number.

Changing Default Providers (Functionality of End User Equipment After the Switch)

VRS or IP Relay users may select and register with a new default provider at any time and may also have their ten-digit geographic numbers transferred (“ported”) to that provider. The procedures for porting a VRS or IP Relay telephone number and a voice telephone number are the same. For more information on local number portability, see the FCC’s consumer fact sheet at www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/numbport.html.

VRS or IP Relay users switching to a new default provider and porting their numbers are entitled to keep equipment supplied by another VRS or IP Relay provider. The new default provider must work with the users’ equipment to ensure that users can make and receive VRS and IP Relay calls, as well as point-to-point (non-relay) calls. Users should not assume that enhanced features of the equipment, such as missed call lists or speed dial lists, will still be available after switching default providers. Because providers offer these features on a competitive basis, users should ask, prior to selecting or changing default providers, whether and how a prospective default provider can provide enhanced services on the user’s equipment.

Limits on the Assignment of Ten-Digit Geographic Numbers

Users may obtain separate ten-digit geographic numbers for different services (for example, one number for VRS and a second number for IP Relay). The FCC’s rules do not prohibit a provider from offering a feature that automatically forwards incoming calls to one service (VRS, for example) to the user at another service (IP Relay, for example), if both numbers are obtained from the same provider and if this arrangement does not result in additional costs to the Interstate TRS Fund.

For the same service, a user also may obtain separate ten-digit geographic numbers for devices placed at different locations (for example, one VRS device at home and another at the office). As noted above, the FCC’s rules do not prohibit a provider that has issued more than one ten-digit geographic number for the same service (but different devices) from offering a feature that automatically forwards an incoming call to an Internet address associated with one telephone number to the user at an Internet address associated with another telephone number, if forwarding does not result in additional costs to the Interstate TRS Fund.

Individual Toll-Free Numbers

Some VRS and IP Relay providers have already issued their users individual, toll-free numbers that permit calls to users from anywhere within the United States without incurring long distance charges (the call is free of charge to the calling party). VRS or IP Relay users may retain current toll-free numbers or obtain new toll-free numbers if: (1) they have also been assigned ten-digit geographic numbers by June 30, 2009, (the last day of the permissive dialing period); (2) the toll-free numbers are directed to users’ ten-digit geographic numbers by that date; and (3) such arrangements do not result in additional costs to the Interstate TRS Fund. (See “Numbering Costs” below.)

Numbering Costs

Consistent with the Communication Act’s functional equivalency mandate, costs typically paid by voice telephone users are not compensable from the Interstate TRS Fund. These costs include: (1) the costs of obtaining a ten-digit geographic number; (2) the costs of obtaining and using an individual toll-free telephone number; and (3) E911 charges that may be imposed under a state or local E911 funding mechanism. To protect consumers, the FCC requires any VRS or IP Relay provider wishing to pass on to users any non-compensable, numbering-related costs to first obtain approval from the FCC.

Emergency 911 Calls Using VRS or IP Relay

Under the FCC’s new emergency call handling rules, VRS and IP Relay users will be able to make an emergency call through their default provider and have the call, along with the ten-digit number and Registered Location of the caller, automatically route to an appropriate public safety answering point (E911 call center). In addition, all 911 emergency calls made through VRS or IP Relay must receive priority attention so that they will be answered by the first available CA ahead of all other non-emergency calls.

Users are strongly encouraged to provide accurate and up-to-date Registered Location information to their default provider, both when registering with their default provider and ANY time they change the location from which they are using the service. Without accurate and up-to-date location information, providers will be unable to send accurate location information or route 911 calls to appropriate emergency personnel. Remember, in an emergency, seconds count – please keep your Registered Location information updated at all times.

Emergency Calling Tips for VRS and IP Relay Users

Make sure you are familiar with your provider’s procedures for updating your Registered Location, and promptly update the information any time it changes, even if the change is temporary.

Know any limitations of your service; for example, have a plan for making emergency calls in the event of a power or Internet outage.

Inform children, babysitters, and visitors about using your VRS or IP Relay service; the limitations, if any, on placing emergency calls; and all information needed in the event of an emergency. Keep instructions for using the service, as well as your address and other information, written down and near your VRS or IP Relay equipment.

Filing a Complaint with the FCC

If you have a problem completing a 911 call, the important thing is to first reach help. Either dial-around to another provider to tell them about the emergency (including your location), or utilize your back-up plan for emergency calling. As soon as practicable after the emergency, notify your provider of any problem completing a 911 call through that provider. If your provider cannot or does not properly address any problem, you can file a complaint with the FCC. There is no charge for filing a complaint. You can file your complaint using an on-line complaint form found on the FCC Web site at esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm. You can also file your complaint with the FCC’s Consumer Center by emailing 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:

Federal Communications Commission
Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau
Consumer Inquiries and Complaints Division
445 12th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20554.

What to Include in Your Complaint

The best way to provide all the information the FCC needs to process your complaint is to complete fully the on-line complaint form. When you open the on-line complaint form, you will be asked a series of questions that will take you to the particular section of the form you need to complete. If you do not use the on-line complaint form, your complaint, at a minimum, should indicate:

• your name, address, email address, and phone number where you can be reached;

• whether you are filing a complaint on behalf of another party, and if so, the party’s name, address, email address, day time phone number, and your relationship to the party;

• preferred format or method of response (letter, fax, voice phone call, email, TRS, TTY, ASCII text, audio recording, or Braille);

• that your complaint is about TRS;

• the name, address, and telephone number (if known) of the company or companies involved with your complaint; and

• a brief description of your complaint and the resolution you are seeking, and a full description of the equipment or service you are complaining about, including date of purchase, use, or attempt to use.

For More Information

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.

Note: This info is quoted verbatim from the FCC website as a courtesy. The actual link to the webpage is as follows: http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/trstendigit.html

Beginning on December 31, 2008, persons with hearing and speech disabilities using Video Relay Service (VRS) or Internet Protocol Relay (IP Relay) – two forms of Internet-based Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) – will be able to obtain ten-digit telephone numbers. This ten-digit number requirement was adopted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in conjunction with 911 call handling requirements for VRS and IP-Relay providers.

TRS calls made through the traditional telephone network automatically pass along to the called party signals that help identify the caller’s location. As a result, relay providers will know the caller’s location, and can therefore route the call to the appropriate emergency personnel to respond. This routing is not currently possible with the Internet-based forms of TRS, because calls do not pass along location information. The FCC has now adopted rules to address this situation by requiring VRS and IP Relay providers to obtain location information from relay users obtaining ten-digit telephone numbers. The new rules ensure that VRS and IP Relay users are provided 911 service that is comparable to the 911 service provided to traditional telephone users.

What is Internet-Based TRS?

TRS permits persons with a hearing or a speech disability to access the telephone system to call voice telephone users. For example, a TRS user “calls” a relay provider through a text-based device (for example, a text telephone or TTY) and is connected to a communications assistant (CA) who, in turn, makes a voice telephone call to the person the TRS user wishes to call. The CA then speaks to the called party what the relay user has typed, and types back to the calling party what the called party says. In this way, the CA “relays” the call back and forth between the two parties.

With Internet-based TRS, calls are made via the Internet and an IP-enabled device, rather than the telephone network. The two most commonly used forms of Internet-based TRS are VRS and IP Relay. A third type of Internet-based TRS, IP Captioned Telephone Service (IP CTS), is not subject to the new ten-digit numbering and requirements.

VRS – This Internet-based form of TRS allows persons whose primary language is American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate with the CA in ASL using video conferencing equipment and a broadband Internet connection. The CA speaks what is signed to the called party, and signs the called party’s response back to the caller. For more information about VRS visit: www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/videorelay.html.

IP Relay – IP Relay allows a person to communicate in text using an IP-enabled device (such as a personal computer) and the Internet, rather than a TTY and the public switched telephone network. For more information about IP Relay visit: www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/iprelay.html.

IP CTS – IP CTS allows a person who can speak and who has some residual hearing to simultaneously listen to what is said over the telephone and read captions of what the other person is saying. An Internet connection carries the captions between the relay provider and the user. For more information about IP CTS visit: www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/ipcaptioned.html.

Benefits of Ten-Digit Numbers

Beginning December 31, 2008, VRS and IP Relay users will be able to obtain ten-digit telephone numbers by registering with a VRS or IP Relay provider (their “default” provider). With a ten-digit number, VRS and IP Relay users will be able to:

• make an emergency call through their preferred VRS or IP Relay provider and have the call, along with the ten-digit number and location information, automatically route to the appropriate public safety answering point, or “911 call center”, so that emergency personnel they can be dispatched.

• receive calls from voice telephone users calling the ten-digit number assigned to the VRS or IP Relay user. (The caller does not need to know the VRS or IP Relay user’s IP address to make the call.)

• make a call directly to, or receive a call directly from, another person using VRS or IP Relay equipment by dialing a ten-digit number.

VRS or IP Relay users will be able to change default relay providers at any time, but still keep the same telephone number. Providers cannot impose any restrictions or conditions when users request that their number be ported to a new default provider. For more information on local number portability, see the FCC’s consumer fact sheet at www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/numbport.html. In addition, consumers can place a call through any provider (such as a provider other than the default provider) by clicking on the URL or address of the other provider. Hearing callers may also place a call with another provider (other than the default provider) by dialing the 800 number of the provider they wish to handle their call.

New Emergency Call Handling Procedures

The FCC’s new rules require VRS and IP Relay providers to:

• obtain from their users the physical location at which the service will first be used when the users register for ten-digit numbers;

• give users an easy way to update their location information if it changes, without cost or additional equipment;

• route all emergency calls to the appropriate 911 call center and transmit the call-back number and registered location of the caller, the name of the VRS or IP Relay provider, and the identification number of the VRS or IP Relay provider’s CA;

• publish a summary of these new procedures, emphasizing the need to keep location information updated, on their Web sites and in any promotional materials addressing emergency call handling; and

• obtain and keep records of affirmative acknowledgement from their registered users that they have received and understood the provider’s summary.

Interim Emergency Call Handling Procedures

Until these new procedures take effect on December 31, 2008, the FCC has adopted interim procedures that require all Internet-based TRS providers, including IP CTS providers, at a minimum, to automatically and immediately transfer an emergency call to the appropriate 911 call center or assure that appropriate personnel are notified of the emergency. Note: For IP CTS, the interim procedures will continue until outstanding technical and regulatory issues are resolved. IP CTS providers are not required to provide ten-digit numbers or automatically pass location information to emergency personnel.

The interim procedures require Internet-based TRS providers to:

• prioritize incoming emergency calls over non-emergency calls;

• request the caller’s name and location at the beginning of the emergency call process for Internet-based TRS callers to update their location information;

• deliver to emergency personnel at the beginning of the outbound link of the call, at a minimum, the name of the Internet-based TRS user and location of the emergency, the name of the provider, the CA’s callback and identification numbers; and

• reestablish contact between the caller and the emergency personnel or other authority if either or both legs of the call are disconnected.

Finally, until December 31, 2008, an Internet-based TRS provider must include an advisory on its Web site or in any promotional materials explaining any circumstances in which handling of Internet-based TRS emergency calls may be limited compared to handling of traditional voice service emergency calls.

Emergency Calling Tips for VRS and IP Relay Users

• Make sure you are familiar with your provider’s procedures for updating your registered physical location, and promptly update the information if it changes.

• Know any limitations of your service, and have a plan for making emergency calls in the event of a power or Internet outage. You may want to keep a TTY and a traditional phone line, or install a backup power supply. Dialing 911 from a TTY or traditional phone remains the most reliable and fastest method of reaching emergency personnel.

• Inform children, babysitters, and visitors about using your TRS 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 using an Internet-based TRS 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 your 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 your complaint with the FCC’s Consumer Center by emailing 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:

Federal Communications Commission
Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau
Consumer Inquiries and Complaints Division
445 12th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20554.

What to Include in Your Complaint

The best way to provide all the information the FCC needs to process your complaint is to complete fully the on-line complaint form. If you do not use the on-line complaint form, your complaint, at a minimum, should indicate:

• your name, address, email address, and phone number where you can be reached;

• whether you are filing a complaint on behalf of another party, and if so, the party’s name, address, email address, day time phone number, and your relationship to the party;

• preferred format or method of response (letter, fax, voice phone call, email, TRS, TTY, ASCII text, audio recording, or Braille);

• that your complaint is about TRS;

• the name, address, and telephone number (if known) of the company or companies involved with your complaint; and

• a brief description of your complaint and the resolution you are seeking, and a full description of the equipment or service you are complaining about, including date of purchase, use, or attempt to use.

For More Information

For more information about TRS, VRS, IP Relay, or IP CTS, 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.