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 STATEMENT  OF  CHAIRMAN  MICHAEL  K.  POWELL 
 Re:  Telecommunications  Relay  Services  and  Speech-  to-  Speech  Services  for  Individuals  with  Hearing  and  Speech  Disabilities  (CC  Docket  90-  571, 
 CC  Docket  98-  67)  Order  on  Reconsideration;  (CG  Docket  03-  123)  Report  and  Order  and  Further  Notice  of  Proposed  Rulemaking,  (Adopted  June 
 10,  2004). 
 Section  225  of  the  Act  seeks  to  ensure  access  to  communications  facilities  for  all  Americans.  Today’s  Order  empowers  people  with  disabilities  to  participate  in  the 
 information  economy  and  reap  its  benefits  equally  with  their  neighbors. 
 Today’s  item  takes  another  step  toward  fulfilling  the  goals  of  Title  IV  of  the  Americans  with  Disabilities  Act  by  further  refining  the  rules  governing  the  provision  of 
 Telecommunications  Relay  Service  (TRS).  In  so  doing,  we  take  a  first  step  toward  expanding  the  forms  of  TRS  that  will  become  mandatory  TRS  services.  In  addition,  this 
 Order  gives  relay  providers  the  freedom  to  adapt  their  offerings  to  the  needs  of  their  customers.  Features  that  they  might  offer  such  as  automatic  call-  back,  higher 
 transmission  speeds,  and  tighter  security  for  IP  Relay  calls  should  represent  value  added  benefits  to  consumers.  At  the  same  time,  this  Commission  must  exercise  its  oversight 
 responsibilities  to  ensure  that  our  TRS  reimbursement  mechanism  does  not  become  an  unbounded  source  of  funding  for  features  that  go  well-  beyond  the  TRS  connectivity  that 
 so  many  people  with  disabilities  depend  upon. 
 Moreover,  Video  Relay  Service  (VRS)  is  an  application  spurring  demand  for  broadband  facilities.  I  am  encouraged  by  this  industry’s  ability  to  innovate  and  provide 
 solutions  for  customers.  The  availability  of  these  services  reflects  the  vital  role  that  broadband  technology  plays  in  improving  consumers’  lives,  satisfying  important  social 
 policy  objectives,  and  driving  our  nation’s  economy.  The  possible  expansion  of  TRS  funding  to  include  VRS  will  present  difficult  questions  of  federal  authority  as  well  as 
 unique  reimbursement  questions.  I  look  forward  to  hearing  from  the  disability  community  as  well  as  other  stakeholders,  as  we  tackle  these  issues  together.  Our 
 Consumer  and  Governmental  Affairs  Bureau  will  continue  to  open  their  doors  to  interested  parties  who  are  legitimately  concerned  about  issues  that  are  vital  to  the  daily 
 lives  of  people  with  disabilities. 
 We  are  proud  of  the  decade  of  expanded  opportunity  and  enhanced  communications  that  TRS  has  fostered.  Support  for  Americans  with  disabilities  is  central 
 to  the  FCC’s  agenda.  Our  efforts,  however,  are  in  no  way  complete.  I  look  forward  to  the  continued  growth  of  TRS  as  well  as  policies  that  increase  access  to  the  information 
 economy. 
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