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Whippany, NJ - April 25, 2005 - The National Exchange Carrier Association (NECA) has submitted to the FCC the proposed new provider reimbursement rates, funding requirements, and carrier contribution factor for the Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) Fund. TRS enables individuals with hearing and speech disabilities who use specialized equipment to make telephone calls to people who use standard telephones. This filing proposes funding for TRS for the period beginning on July 1, 2005 and ending on June 30, 2006.
NECA is recommending a total fund requirement of $413.3 million, a $124 million increase from the current fund. A carrier contribution factor of 0.00528 on 2004 interstate and international revenues of $78.2 billion is being proposed. NECA has developed this recommendation based on the cost and demand projections from the providers for each of the TRS services.
NECA has recommended an increase in the size of the fund, based primarily on continuing significant growth in demand for Internet Protocol (IP) relay service and Video Relay Service (VRS). VRS allows people who use sign language to communicate with the relay center using sign language through video equipment. Users of IP relay access the service by computer via the Internet, replacing the use of a text telephone.
In its filing, NECA has proposed reimbursement rates of $1.312 per completed interstate minute of use for traditional TRS and all completed IP minutes except international, and $1.579 per completed interstate minute of use for Speech-to-Speech (STS) service. NECA proposes a reimbursement rate of $5.924 for all completed minutes of VRS.
The FCC appointed NECA the TRS Fund Administrator in 1993 when the fund was established. NECA was re-appointed in 1995 and 1999. In 2003, the FCC extended NECA’s term on a month-to-month basis.
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