Federal Communications Commission DA 19-223 DA 19-223 Released: March 28, 2019 CONSUMER AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS BUREAU SEEKS COMMENT ON REQUEST BY SPRINT CORPORATION FOR INTERIM WAIVERS REGARDING THE COMPENSATION RATE FOR INTERNET PROTOCOL RELAY SERVICE CG Docket Nos. 10-51 and 03-123 Comment Date: April 8, 2019 Reply Comment Date: April 15, 2019 The Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau (Bureau) of the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) seeks comment on a request for interim waivers filed by Sprint Corporation (Sprint) to recover costs in the provision of Internet Protocol Relay Service (IP Relay), a telecommunications relay service (TRS), TRS are telephone transmission services that provide the ability for an individual who is deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind, or who has a speech disability to engage in communication by wire or radio with one or more individuals, in a manner that is functionally equivalent to the ability of an individual who does not have a hearing or speech disability to communicate using voice communication services by wire or radio. 47 U.S.C. § 225(a)(3). IP Relay is a telecommunications relay service that permits an individual with a hearing or a speech disability to communicate in text using an Internet Protocol-enabled device via the Internet, rather than using a text telephone (TTY) and the public switched telephone network. 47 CFR § 64.601(a)(18). for the 2019-20 TRS Fund Year. Petition of Sprint Corporation Request for Interim Waivers, CG Docket Nos. 10-51 and 03-123 (filed Mar. 21, 2019), https://ecfsapi.fcc.gov/file/10321798025208/Request%20for%20Waiver%20-%20REDACTED%20plus%20attachment.pdf (Sprint Request for Waivers). Sprint has redacted portions of the petition for which it requests confidential treatment. Access to the redacted material is governed by the Third Protective Order in this docket. See Misuse of Internet Protocol (IP) Captioned Telephone Service; Structure and Practices of the Video Relay Service Program; Telecommunications Relay Services and Speech-to-Speech Services for Individuals with Hearing and Speech Disabilities, CG Docket Nos. 13-24, 10-51, and 03-123, Order and Third Protective Order, 33 RCC Rcd 6802 (CGB 2018). Sprint seeks interim waivers of the Commission’s rules to the extent necessary to permit Sprint to (1) be compensated for specified costs incurred for outreach, indirect overhead, and research and development, and (2) receive a reasonable operating margin. Sprint Request for Waivers at 3. Sprint states that if all the requested interim waivers are granted, the IP Relay compensation rate would increase to $1.85 per minute for the 2019-20 TRS Fund year. Id. at 2. Sprint argues that granting the waivers will ensure its ability to continue providing IP Relay service pending adoption of a longer-term compensatory rate methodology for this important TRS service. Id. at 15. Filing Requirements. Interested parties may file comments on or before the date indicated on the first page of this document. See 47 CFR §§ 1.1, 1.45, 1.49. All filings must reference CG Docket Nos. 10-51 and 03-123. Comments may be filed using the Commission’s Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS). Electronic Filing of Documents in Rulemaking Proceedings, GC Docket No. 97-113, Report and Order, 13 FCC Rcd 11322 (1998). · Electronic Filers: Comments may be filed electronically using the Internet by accessing ECFS: https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/. · Paper Filers: Parties who choose to file by paper must file an original and one copy of each filing. · 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. o All hand-delivered or messenger-delivered paper filings for the Commission’s Secretary must be delivered to FCC Headquarters at 445 12th Street, 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 and boxes must be disposed of before entering the building. o Commercial overnight mail (other than U.S. Postal Service Express Mail and Priority Mail) must be sent to 9050 Junction Drive, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701. o U.S. Postal Service first-class, Express, and Priority mail must be addressed to 445 12th Street, SW, Washington DC 20554. Ex Parte Rules. The proceeding this Notice initiates shall be treated as a “permit-but-disclose” proceeding in accordance with the Commission’s ex parte rules. 47 CFR §§ 1.1200 et seq. Persons making ex parte presentations must file a copy of any written presentation or a memorandum summarizing any oral presentation within two business days after the presentation (unless a different deadline applicable to the Sunshine period applies). Persons making oral ex parte presentations are reminded that memoranda summarizing the presentation must (1) list all persons attending or otherwise participating in the meeting at which the ex parte presentation was made, and (2) summarize all data presented and arguments made during the presentation. If the presentation consisted in whole or in part of the presentation of data or arguments already reflected in the presenter’s written comments, memoranda or other filings in the proceeding, the presenter may provide citations to such data or arguments in his or her prior comments, memoranda, or other filings (specifying the relevant page and/or paragraph numbers where such data or arguments can be found) in lieu of summarizing them in the memorandum. Documents shown or given to Commission staff during ex parte meetings are deemed to be written ex parte presentations and must be filed consistent with rule 1.1206(b). In proceedings governed by rule 1.49(f) or for which the Commission has made available a method of electronic filing, written ex parte presentations and memoranda summarizing oral ex parte presentations, and all attachments thereto, must be filed through the electronic comment filing system available for that proceeding, and must be filed in their native format (e.g., .doc, .xml, .ppt, searchable .pdf). Participants in this proceeding should familiarize themselves with the Commission’s ex parte rules. 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 Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice) or 202-418-0432 (TTY). Additional Information. For further information regarding this Notice, please contact Michael Scott, Disability Rights Office, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, at 202-418-1264 or by e-mail to Michael.Scott@fcc.gov. – FCC– 3