Federal Communications Commission	"FCC  XX-XXX"


STATEMENT OF 
CHAIRMAN AJIT PAI
Re: 	Misuse of Internet Protocol (IP) Captioned Telephone Service, CG Docket No. 13-24; Telecommunications Relay Services and Speech-to-Speech Services for Individuals with Hearing and Speech Disabilities, CG Docket No. 03-123; Structure and Practices of the Video Relay Service Program, CG Docket No. 10-51
Today, we put into place the next steps in our ongoing reform of Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service, or IP CTS.  IP CTS, which is funded through the FCC’s Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) Fund, allows people who can speak but have difficulty hearing over the telephone to both read captions and use their residual hearing to understand a phone conversation.  Use of this service has grown significantly since 2011, underscoring its importance to the daily lives of those who rely on it. 
We are taking further action today to ensure the financial sustainability of IP CTS for the millions of Americans with hearing loss who depend on it.  With the interim IP CTS rates set in 2018 about to expire, we adopt new compensation rates to bring them closer to average provider costs in a two-step process that will reduce compensation rates over time, thereby allowing service providers to make necessary adjustments to their business plans.  And our action today will save taxpayers—those from whom contributions to the TRS Fund ultimately come—nearly $200 million over the upcoming 19 months.  
In addition, by creating a two-step compensation adjustment approach, as well as providing a single rate for all types of IP CTS calls, the Commission is affording higher-cost providers the opportunity to adjust to the new compensation rate by improving efficiency, such as by shifting to a fully automatic version of IP CTS that meets quality standards for some portion of their calls.
Finally, in the Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, we seek to improve IP CTS service quality by adopting quantitative measures of compliance with minimum IP CTS standards.  We focus on two key aspects: caption delay and accuracy.  We want to make sure that the service provides timely and accurate captions so that those who use it can easily carry on a conversation.  
This item would not have been possible without the work of our dedicated and talented FCC staff.  Thank you to Bob Aldrich, Kelley Bregenzer, Diane Burstein, Eliot Greenwald, Michael Scott, Bill Wallace, and Patrick Webre of the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau; Susan Lee, Virginia Metallo, Eric Ralph, and Emily Talaga of the Office of Economics and Analytics; Terry Cavanaugh,  Rick Mallen, and Bill Richardson of the Office of General Counsel; Sharon Lee of the Enforcement Bureau; and David Schmidt of the Office of Managing Director.  

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