Reducing Fraud and Waste in the Video Relay Service Program

June 10, 2013 — The FCC released a Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the Matter of Structure and Practices of the Video Relay Service Program and Telecommunications Relay Services and Speech-to-Speech Services for Individuals with Hearing and Speech Disabilities [CG Docket No. 10-51 and 03-123]. The Report and Order outlines steps to decrease “waste, fraud and abuse” of the Video Relay Service (VRS) program, through the institution of a “unitary market-based compensation rate” to replace the previous tiered compensation, explicit contracts for research and development to replace the previous per-minute additional charge, the creation of a national outreach program, measures to promote standards for interoperability, and the creation of a user registration database. The FCC seeks comment on many aspects of the VRS program including compensation rates, auctioning the rights for specific VRS service providers to provider service to specific phone numbers, an agreement with the National Science Foundation to provide research and development, functionality of 911 calls via VRS, compliance with speed of answer requirements, and replacement of the current TRS Fund Advisory Council. Initial comments are due 25 days after publication in the Federal Register, and reply comments are due 50 days after publication in the Federal Register.