FCC Information on TRS/VRS
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Dr. Z is still seeing people use 866 numbers and giving them to their friends, relatives and doctors.
Dr. Z wants to remind everyone that FREE 800/866 numbers for VRS will stop on November 21, 2012. All VRS providers have been asked by the FCC to stop servicing 800/866 numbers on that date.
If you want to keep your 800/866 numbers, you will have to pay a monthly fee.
What should you do? Just give out your local number, instead of your 800/866 number. Local numbers are free.
In the next few weeks, ZVRS will make a list available of who you need to contact to service your 800/866 numbers for a monthly fee.
Here’s the link to the FCC web page on this subject.
Dr. Z cares about your communication access.
Disclaimer: Dr. Z is currently the Vice-President of Business Development and Outreach at CSDVRS, LLC.
Another proposed rule has to do with tiered rates. The FCC is asking whether tiered rates make sense. We all know that fixed costs are the same for all VRS companies which means that it costs more for smaller VRS companies to provide the service than its for larger VRS companies. That is why tiered rates allow small companies to compete on an even playing field with larger VRS companies.
What is a tiered rate? If for example a per user rate or per minutes ate would be in effect, the smaller VRS companies would get a higher rate than the larger VRS companies. This enables smaller VRS companies to provide the service. If there were one rate, it’s possible that the smaller VRS companies will drop out of the market.
Dr. Z is of the opinion that we need a number of VRS companies out there so there can be competition. If companies drop out, we will have less competition and therefore less service and features.
Here’s the link to the proposed rules.
Here’s the link to comment to the FCC on those proposed rules.
Dr. Z cares about your communication access.
Disclaimer: Dr. Z is currently the Vice-President of Business Development and Outreach at CSDVRS, LLC.
One of the proposed rules has to do with compensation–how the FCC will pay the VRS providers for doing the service. Currently, the FCC pays the providers a per-minute rate for doing the service; the longer a person uses VRS, the more the provider gets.
In the proposed rules, the FCC is proposing that the providers would be paid on a per-user basis. This means the FCC is proposing to pay a flat fee for a person using the service per month. If a person uses VRS for 5 minutes a month, or 200 minutes a month, the provider will get the same amount no matter how many minutes the user uses. Will this cause behavioral changes on the part of the provider? Will the provider worry about the small users and ignore the big users? How do we define an ‘User”? What if a husband and a wife uses the same videophone in the home? Do they count as 1 or 2 users? What about a company that employs deaf and hard of hearing people? Will the company be defined as one user or each employee defined as an user? What about a deaf child in a hearing household? The list of questions goes on and on.
Dr. Z is especially concerned as to whether they have an impact on the quality of service. If the per user compensation methodology results in less revenue for the VRS provider, will it cause them to be less innovative? Will they eliminate features we have come to benefit?
Here’s the link to the proposed rules.
Here’s the link to comment to the FCC on those proposed rules.
Dr. Z cares about your communication access.
Disclaimer: Dr. Z is currently the Vice-President of Business Development and Outreach at CSDVRS, LLC.
Dr. Z has been getting questions on the recent FCC development, especially the FNPRM.
What is a FNPRM? It is a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.
The FCC has a process whereby they give the public an opportunity to read their proposed rules and comment on them before they issue an order. Very rarely, if ever does the FCC issue an order without a proposed rulemaking in process except in urgent and emergency situations.
The current FNPRM issued on December 14, 2011 is a very detailed (over 100 pages) and comprehensive proposal of new rules to be considered. Some of them are far-reaching and can change VRS as we know it today. And the comment period is 30 days from its publication in the Federal Register which is an unusually short period of time for such a big rulemaking proposal.
Dr. Z will comment on those proposed rules in the next few weeks so you can have an opportunity to send your thoughts to the FCC.
Here’s the link to the proposed rules.
Dr. Z cares about your communication access.
Disclaimer: Dr. Z is currently the Vice-President of Business Development and Outreach at CSDVRS, LLC.
There are technology developments that make communication accessible such as VRS—but there is also technology that does not make things accessible such as voice recognition.
Voice recognition is when someone speaks to a device and the device understands what is spoken into it. It seems cool, but many of us deaf people do not have perfect speech and those devices won’t be able to understand us and then would not be useful.
There are some cool software products out there but to use it you have to be able to speak. Then we deaf people cannot use such products because some of us cannot speak as clearly as others.
Technology can go both ways–it can make life easier, and it can limit our lives. So we need to be on the lookout for such things and raise our voice when such things limit our ability to use those devices.
Dr. Z cares about your communication access.
Disclaimer: Dr. Z (Philip Bravin) is currently the Vice-President of Marketing at CSDVRS, LLC.
There is a lot of filings and comments on the FCC website related to VRS. It is painstaking to try to read and digest all of these. All this is a result of the FCC’s attempts to reform the VRS industry and this is only the beginning. Whenever the FCC issues an order, people file requests for reconsideration, requests for extensions, requests for waivers, ex parte notices and all that to get what they think is needed.
The dust is all over and it is far from settled. This is not intended as a criticism to the FCC–reform is needed, but it is hard when there are so many players in the game. The FCC has yet to issue proposed rules for compensation of VRS service. The FCC has a full plate because it is also looking at Universal Service Fund reform and internet reform, both of which have an effect on VRS.
Bottom line–we must be vigilant to be sure that all those new rules and orders do not change the VRS experience we enjoy today.
Here are the links to the FCC website for the information mentioned above:
TRS/VRS Headlines
Filings for Proceeding 03-123
Filings for Proceeding 10-51
Dr. Z cares about your communication access.
Disclaimer: Dr. Z is currently the Vice-President of Marketing at CSDVRS, LLC.
We often forget the role of a video interpreter (VI) when making VRS calls, and sometimes take them for granted.
Dr. Z wants to remind each and everyone of you to remember they are the key messengers (or facilitators) for all calls we make through a relay service.
They have a difficult job because they do not know what kind of calls come up the moment a call comes in–it can be anything from a simple pizza order to sharing news of a birth of a baby to handling a 911 call–all as part of their work schedule and to do it every working day.
They need to maintain their composure in difficult situations and remain as “neutral” as possible.
They have to be able to handle spelling of names and geographic locations which they may not be familiar with.
They have to be able to handle differences in regional signs–the sign for “circus” or “birthday” differs in all parts of the country.
They have to be able to handle differing communication styles of deaf and hard of hearing people.
They sometimes have to handle difficult consumers who make calls.
And to do it every day, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
Let’s show our appreciation for them by saying “Thank you” with a smile at the end of every call.
Dr. Z cares about your communication access.
Disclaimer: Dr. Z (Philip Bravin) is currently the Vice-President of Marketing at CSDVRS, LLC.
Sorenson is at it again with the ntouch VP.
For point to point calls where one needs to leave a message, the ntouch VP can ONLY receive messages left by Sorenson phones while with the Z-20, it can receive messages left by any videophone including the VP-200. Dr. Z cares about functional equivalence and this is not functional equivalence.
Think twice before signing up for the ntouch VP. With the Z-20, you don’t have to think twice.
Dr. Z cares about your communication access.
Disclosure: Dr. Z (Philip W. Bravin) is an employee with CSDVRS, currently its Vice-President of Marketing.
Know what? The Z-20 from ZVRS is now FREE!
With a Z-20 you do not need a remote control or a television to make videophone calls.
It has a built-in screen and the keypad is within arm’s reach. To make a call, just press the keys on the keypad, and off you go!
Your phone directory resides on the web and is downloaded to the Z-20.
You do not have to spell out your social securiy number or account number to the video interpreter–just use the keys on the keypad!
You do not have to give up your TV to make a video call–you can use your Z-20 alongside your computer while calling.
It’s time to make a change-get a Z-20!
Dr. Z cares about your communication access.
Disclosure: Dr. Z (Philip W. Bravin) is an employee with CSDVRS, currently its Vice-President of Marketing.
When you shop for a car, do you go to one dealer and buy just the car the dealer offers? Or do you go to several dealers and do comparison shopping before you decide?
Dr. Z thinks you should do the same with videophones (hardware/software and services). You need to do comparison shopping before you make your decision.
Dr. Z and his colleague, Lisa put together a video that does just that. Comparing Z product and services with those of Sorenson based on specifications as of October 1st. Dre. Z is confident that after you view the video, you will be in a better position to make a decision.
Her’s the link to the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-6DkwPVnqU
Dr. Z cares about your communication access.
Disclosure: Dr. Z (Philip W. Bravin) is an employee with CSDVRS, currently its Vice-President of Marketing.
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