Rule2021-13486
Structure and Practices of the Video Relay Services Program
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
July 7, 2021
Effective
August 6, 2021
Issuing agencies
Federal Communications Commission
Abstract
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission's (Commission's) Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau (Bureau), pursuant to delegated authority, amends the Commission's interoperability requirements for video relay service (VRS) to remove reference to the Interoperability Profile for Relay User Equipment (RUE Profile).
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 127 (Wednesday, July 7, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 127 (Wednesday, July 7, 2021)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 35632-35633]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-13486]
[[Page 35632]]
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
47 CFR Part 64
[CG Docket Nos. 03-123, 10-51; DA 20-219; FRS 32654]
Structure and Practices of the Video Relay Services Program
AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.
ACTION: Final rule.
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SUMMARY: In this document, the Federal Communications Commission's
(Commission's) Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau (Bureau),
pursuant to delegated authority, amends the Commission's
interoperability requirements for video relay service (VRS) to remove
reference to the Interoperability Profile for Relay User Equipment (RUE
Profile).
DATES: These rules are effective August 6, 2021.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Scott, Consumer and
Governmental Affairs Bureau, at (202) 418-1264, or email
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#85c8ece6ede4e0e9abd6e6eaf1f1c5e3e6e6abe2eaf3"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="125f7b717a73777e3c41717d6666527471713c757d64">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Bureau's Order on
Reconsideration, document DA 20-219, adopted on March 3, 2020, released
on March 3, 2020, in CG Docket Nos. 10-51 and 03-123. The Bureau
previous sought comment on a petition for reconsideration, published at
82 FR 33856, July 21, 2017, with a correction published at 82 FR 34471,
July 25, 2017. The full text of document DA 20-219 is available for
public inspection via the Commission's Electronic Comment Filing System
(ECFS). To request materials in accessible formats for people with
disabilities (Braille, large print, electronic files, audio format),
send an email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0e686d6d3b3e3a4e686d6d20696178"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="80e6e3e3b5b0b4c0e6e3e3aee7eff6">[email protected]</span></a>, or call the Consumer and Governmental
Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530 (voice) or (202) 418-0432 (TTY).
Incorporation by Reference: The Commission notified the Director of
the Federal Register of the removal of the incorporation by reference
to the RUE Profile from Sec. 64.621(c) on May 5, 2020.
Congressional Review Act
The Commission sent a copy of document DA 20-219 to Congress and
the Government Accountability Office pursuant to the Congressional
Review Act, 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A).
Final Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 Analysis
Document DA 20-219 does not contain new or modified or proposed
information collections subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(PRA), Public Law 104-13. Therefore, it does not contain any new or
modified information collection burden for small business concerns with
fewer than 25 employees, pursuant to the Small Business Paperwork
Relief Act of 2002, Public Law 107-198, 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(4).
Regulatory Flexibility Act Analysis
Document DA 20-219 does not require a Final Regulatory Flexibility
Analysis, pursuant to the Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980 as amended
(RFA), 5 U.S.C. 601-612, as amended by Public Law 104-121. Document DA
20-219 will be sent to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small
Business Administration.
Incorporation by Reference Summary
Document DA 20-219 removes from the Commission's rules the
Interoperability Profile for Relay User Equipment, draft-vrs-rue-
dispatch-00 (2016) (RUE Profile). The RUE Profile provides technical
specifications that define a standard interface between a relay user's
equipment and the services offered by relay service providers. The
document is available from IETF Secretariat, 5177 Brandin Court,
Fremont, CA 94538, 510-492-4080, <a href="https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-vrs-rue-dispatch">https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-vrs-rue-dispatch</a>.
Synopsis
1. VRS, a form of telecommunications relay service (TRS), enables
people with hearing or speech disabilities who use American Sign
Language (ASL) to employ video equipment to communicate with voice
telephone users. To ensure that consumers can communicate and port
their service between VRS providers, the Commission requires VRS
providers to ensure their services are interoperable and portable and
has delegated rulemaking authority to the Bureau to adopt technical
standards.
2. In response to a petition, the Bureau reconsiders its 2017
decision incorporating the RUE Profile and deletes the interoperability
rule's reference to that standard. There are limited benefits to be
gained from implementing the current version of the RUE Profile, which
is undergoing review by a standards development organization, and at
this time such limited benefits do not outweigh the costs of
implementation.
3. Benefits. The need for a mandatory provider-to-device technical
standard to ensure objective interoperability testing is not as
critical as appeared to be the case when this proceeding began. In
2013, when the Commission delegated authority to the Bureau to adopt
VRS technical standards, interoperability could not be assured due to
the absence of any applicable standards, and there were disputes among
providers over who was responsible for alleged failures of
interoperability. More recently, however, the other technical standards
adopted in 2017--the Provider Interoperability Profile and the xCard
standard for porting consumer contact lists--appear to have been
implemented successfully. Further, VRS providers now work together to
ensure interoperability through an informal process in which engineers
from each company collaborate on interoperability testing and
information exchange. In addition, the MITRE Corporation has
established a testing laboratory environment that enables effective
testing of interoperability using provider-supplied user devices and
software. In short, even though compliance with the RUE Profile has not
been required to date, processes to implement the substance of the
Commission's current interoperability and portability rules are in
place and have produced positive results.
4. More fundamentally, the RUE Profile remains a work in progress,
currently under consideration by a working group of the internet
Engineering Task Force. No benefit can be gained by enforcing
compliance with a technical standard that is not ready to be
implemented.
5. Costs. Implementation of the RUE Profile at this time would
require VRS providers to incur substantial costs. In addition, RUE
Profile compliance may impose additional indirect costs that are
difficult to quantify, including, e.g., costs caused by unforeseen
technical problems and security issues arising out of consumer use of
the VATRP, as well as potential opportunity costs due to the diversion
of engineering and research resources from technical improvements that
may offer greater benefit to consumers.
6. The Bureau will maintain this docket as an open proceeding, to
allow for consideration of new or updated technical standards,
including further consideration of provider-to-device standards, should
they be submitted for consideration.
Ordering Clauses
7. Pursuant to the authority contained in sections 4(i), 4(j), and
225 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 154(i),
(j), 225, and Sec. Sec. 0.141, 0.361, and 1.3 of the Commission's
rules, 47 CFR 0.141,
[[Page 35633]]
0.361, 1.3, the petition for reconsideration filed by Sorenson
Communications, LLC, is granted in part and dismissed in part.
List of Subjects in 47 CFR Part 64
Incorporation by reference, Individuals with disabilities,
Telecommunications, Telecommunications relay services.
Federal Communications Commission.
Gregory Haledjian,
Legal Advisor, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau.
Final Rules
For the reasons discussed in the preamble, the Federal
Communications Commission amends 47 CFR part 64 as follows:
PART 64--MISCELLANEOUS RULES RELATING TO COMMON CARRIERS
0
1. The authority citation for part 64 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 47 U.S.C. 151, 152, 154, 201, 202, 217, 218, 220,
222, 225, 226, 227, 227b, 228, 251(a), 251(e), 254(k), 262, 276,
403(b)(2)(B), (c), 616, 620, 1401-1473, unless otherwise noted; Pub.
L. 115-141, Div. P, sec. 503, 132 Stat. 348, 1091.
0
2. Amend Sec. 64.621 by
0
a. Revising paragraph (a)(3); and
0
b. Removing and reserving (c)(2)(ii).
The revision reads as follows:
Sec. 64.621 Interoperability and portability.
(a) * * *
(3) All VRS providers must ensure that their VRS access
technologies and their video communication service platforms are
interoperable with the VRS Access Technology Reference Platform,
including for point-to-point calls. No VRS provider shall be
compensated for minutes of use involving their VRS access technologies
or video communication service platforms that are not interoperable
with the VRS Access Technology Reference Platform.
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 2021-13486 Filed 7-6-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P
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