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 NEWS  Federal  Communications  Commission  445  12  th  Street,  S.  W.  Washington,  D.  C.  20554  This  is  an  unofficial  announcement  of  Commission  action.  Release  of  the  full  text  of  a  Commission  order  constitutes  official  action.  See  MCI  v.  FCC.  515  F  2d  385  (D.  C.  Circ  1974).  News  Media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  TTY:  1-  888-  835-  5322 
 For  Immediate  Release:  News  Media  Contacts:  July  14,  2005  Rosemary  Kimball  at  (202)  418-  0511 
 e-  mail:  rosemary.  kimball@  fcc.  gov  Dan  Rumelt  at  (202)  418-  7512 
 e-  mail:  dan.  rumelt@  fcc.  gov 


 COMMISSION  CLARIFIES  THAT  TWO-  LINE  CAPTIONED  TELEPHONE  SERVICE  IS  ELIGIBLE  FOR  COMPENSATION  FROM  THE  INTERSTATE  TRS  FUND 
 Washington,  DC  --  Today,  the  Federal  Communications  Commission  (FCC)  clarified  that  two-  line  captioned  telephone  service  is  a  type  of  telecommunications  relay  service  (TRS) 
 eligible  for  compensation  from  the  Interstate  TRS  Fund. 
 Captioned  telephone  service  uses  a  special  telephone  that  has  a  text  display.  Using  a  single  phone  line,  it  permits  the  user  –  typically  someone  who  has  the  ability  to  speak  and  some 
 residual  hearing  –  to  both  listen  to  what  is  said  over  the  telephone  and  simultaneously  read  captions  of  what  the  other  person  is  saying.  Two-  line  captioned  telephone  service  permits  the  user  to 
 simultaneously  listen  to  and  read  what  the  other  person  is  saying;  however,  through  use  of  the  second  line,  it  provides  the  user  access  to  functionality  that  one-  line  captioned  telephone  service 
 does  not  offer. 
 The  Commission  noted  the  advantages  of  two-  line  captioned  telephone  service  over  one-line  service.  For  example,  with  the  Commission’s  order,  deaf  and  hard  of  hearing  consumers 


 will  be  able  to  access  a  host  of  services  that  were  previously  unavailable  to  them,  such  as  *69,  call  waiting,  and  call  forwarding. 


 Two-  line  service  also  makes  it  possible  for  users  to  access  9-  1-  1  emergency  services  directly,  in  the  same  way  that  hearing  telephone  users  access  these  services  (while 
 simultaneously  receiving  captions  back  on  the  second  telephone  line).  In  addition,  two-  line  captioned  telephone  service  allows  two  or  more  persons  to  be  on  the  call  at  the  same  time  (e.  g., 
 by  using  another  telephone  extension  in  the  same  house)  because  the  primary  connection  is  a  direct  voice  connection,  just  like  with  any  other  call.  Finally,  unlike  with  one-  line  captioned 
 telephone  service,  the  captioning  service  can  be  added  to  a  call  at  any  time  during  the  call  (even  after  the  call  is  in  progress)  by  engaging  the  second  line  (which  is  the  call  to  the  captioned 
 telephone  service). 
 The  Commission  also  adopted  the  allocation  methodology  proposed  by  the  National  Exchange  Carrier  Association  (NECA),  the  administrator  of  the  Interstate  TRS  Fund,  for 


 determining  the  number  of  inbound  two-  line  captioned  telephone  minutes  that  should  be 
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 compensated  from  that  Fund.  This  mechanism  is  similar  to  the  methodology  presently  used  for  800  and  900  number  call  minutes. 
 The  order  will  be  effective  30  days  after  publication  in  the  Federal  Register. 
 Action  by  the  Commission  July  14,  2005,  by  Order  (FCC  05-  141).  Chairman  Martin,  Commissioners  Abernathy,  Copps  and  Adelstein.  Separate  statements  issued  by  Chairman 
 Martin,  Abernathy,  Copps  and  Adelstein. 
 -  FCC  - 


 CGB  Contact:  Thomas  Chandler  at  (202)  418-  1475  (voice);  (202)  418-  0597  (TTY) 
 CC  Docket  98-  67  CG  Docket  03-  123 
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