PUBLIC NOTICE Federal Communications Commission 445 12th St., S.W. Washington, D.C. 20554 News Media Information 202 / 418-0500 Internet: http://www.fcc.gov TTY: 1-888-835-5322 DA 13-2191 Released: November 14, 2013 REQUEST FOR COMMENT ON PETITION FILED BY AT&T SERVICES, INC. REGARDING THE PROVISION OF MUTING FOR SPEECH-TO-SPEECH TELEPHONE SERVICES CG Docket Nos. 08-15 & 03-123 Comments: (15 days after date of publication in the Federal Register) Reply Comments: (25 days after date of publication in the Federal Register) On September 26, 2013, AT&T Services, Inc. (AT&T) filed a petition (AT&T Petition)1 requesting clarification or, in the alternative, expedited waiver of the requirement contained in the 2013 STS Order2 for providers to offer speech-to-speech (STS) users the option to have their voices muted during an STS call.3 Specifically, AT&T claims that it can meet this obligation for incoming calls to an STS user who has not pre-selected muting in his or her profile, by “mut[ing] the user’s voice only if the STS user drops off the call and the CA adds the user back to the call.”4 AT&T seeks clarification that this process complies with 47 C.F.R. § 64.604(a)(1)(viii). In the alternative, AT&T seeks a twelve-month expedited waiver of the STS muting rule for calls where the STS user has not pre-selected muting in his or her profile. AT&T maintains that this will allow it to continue offering STS users the call-back option while it modifies its platform to add a “hold” function during STS calls, to allow the CA to mute an STS user’s voice at any time during a call without requiring a call-back.5 Pursuant to section 1.429 of the Commission’s rules, 47 C.F.R. § 1.429, we invite interested parties to file comments on the AT&T Petition and to file reply comments on or before the dates specified above. All filings must reference CG Docket Nos. 08-15 & 03-123. Comments may be filed using the Commission’s Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS) or by filing paper copies. See Electronic 1 AT&T Services, Inc., Request for Clarification, or, in the Alternative, Petition for Expedited Waiver, CG Docket Nos. 08-15 and 03-123 (filed September 26, 2013) (AT&T Petition). 2 Speech-to-Speech and Internet Protocol (IP) Speech-to-Speech Telecommunications Relay Services; Telecommunications Relay Services and Speech-to-Speech Services for Individuals with Hearing and Speech Disabilities, CG Docket Nos. 08-15 and 03-123, Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 28 FCC Rcd 10702 (2013) (2103 STS Order). 3 AT&T Petition at 1. The muting obligation is contained at 47 C.F.R. § 64.604(a)(1)(viii). 4 Id. at 1-2. 5 Id. at 5-7. 2Filing of Documents in Rulemaking Proceedings. Comments may be filed electronically using the Internet by accessing the ECFS: http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs2. Filers should follow the instructions provided on the website for submitting comments. In completing the transmittal screen, commenters should include their full name, U.S. Postal Service mailing address, and CG Docket Nos. 08-15 & 03- 123. Parties who choose to file by paper must file an original and one copy of each filing. If more than one docket or rulemaking number appears in the caption of this proceeding, filers must submit one additional copy 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. All filings must be addressed to the Commission’s Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission. All hand-delivered or messenger-delivered paper filings for the Commission’s Secretary must be delivered to FCC Headquarters at 445 12th St., SW, Room TW-A325, Washington, DC 20554. The filing hours are 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 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 must be addressed to 445 12th Street, SW, Washington DC 20554. A copy of this Notice, the AT&T Petition and any subsequently filed documents in this matter will be available during regular business hours at the FCC Reference Center, Portals II, 445 12th Street, SW, Room CY-A257, Washington, D.C. 20554, (202) 418-0270. This Notice, the AT&T Petition and any subsequently filed documents in this matter may also be purchased from the Commission’s duplicating contractor at its website, www.bcpiweb.com, or call 1-800-378-3160. A copy of the submission may also be found by searching on ECFS (insert CG Docket Nos. 08-15 & 03-123 into the Proceeding block). People with Disabilities: To request materials in accessible formats for people with disabilities (Braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), send an e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530 (voice), (202) 418-0432 (TTY). This document can also be downloaded in Word and Portable Document Format (PDF) at: http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/dro/trs.html. For further information, please contact Caitlin Vogus, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, Disability Rights Office, at (202) 418-1264 or e-mail at Caitlin.Vogus@fcc.gov. -FCC-