Notice2021-15008
Comment Sought on Request for Freeze of IP CTS Compensation Level
Primary source
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Published
July 15, 2021
Issuing agencies
Federal Communications Commission
Abstract
In this document, the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau (Bureau) of the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) seeks comment on a request by six of the seven currently certified providers of internet Protocol (IP) Captioned Telephone Service (IP CTS) to defer the reduction in the per minute level of Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) Fund support for IP CTS previously ordered by the Commission.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 133 (Thursday, July 15, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 133 (Thursday, July 15, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37328-37329]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-15008]
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
[CG Docket Nos. 03-123 and 13-24; DA 21-753; FR ID 36290]
Comment Sought on Request for Freeze of IP CTS Compensation Level
AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In this document, the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau
(Bureau) of the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) seeks
comment on a request by six of the seven currently certified providers
of internet Protocol (IP) Captioned Telephone Service (IP CTS) to defer
the reduction in the per minute level of Telecommunications Relay
Service (TRS) Fund support for IP CTS previously ordered by the
Commission.
DATES: Comments are due July 30, 2021 and replies are due August 9,
2021.
ADDRESSES: Comments and replies may be filed, identified by CG Docket
Nos. 03-123 and 13-24, using the Commission's Electronic Comment Filing
System (ECFS).
<bullet> Electronic Filers: Comments may be filed electronically
using the internet by accessing the ECFS: <a href="https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/filings">https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/filings</a>.
<bullet> Paper Filers: Parties who choose to file by paper must
file an original and one copy of each filing. If more than one docket
or rulemaking number appears in the caption of this proceeding, filers
must submit two additional copies for each additional docket or
rulemaking number.
[cir] Filings can be sent by hand or messenger delivery, by
commercial overnight courier, or by first-class or overnight U.S.
Postal Service mail. All filings must be addressed to the Commission's
Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission.
[cir] Currently, the Commission does not accept any hand delivered
or messenger delivered filings as a temporary measure taken to help
protect the health and safety of individuals, and to mitigate the
transmission of COVID-19. In the event that the Commission announces
the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, a filing window will be opened at
the Commission's office located at 9050 Junction Drive, Annapolis
Junction, Maryland 20701.
[cir] Commercial overnight mail (other than U.S. Postal Service
Express Mail and Priority Mail) must be sent to 9050 Junction Drive,
Annapolis Junction, MD 20701.
[cir] U.S. Postal Service first-class, Express, and Priority mail
must be addressed to 45 L Street NE, Washington DC 20554.
[cir] During the time the Commission's building is closed to the
general public and until further notice, if more than one docket or
rulemaking number appears in the caption of a proceeding, paper filers
need not submit two additional copies for each additional docket or
rulemaking number; an original and one copy are sufficient.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William Wallace, Consumer and
Governmental Affairs Bureau at: (202)
[[Page 37329]]
418-2716; email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#cd9aa4a1a1a4aca0e39aaca1a1acaea88dabaeaee3aaa2bb"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="b1e6d8ddddd8d0dc9fe6d0ddddd0d2d4f1d7d2d29fd6dec7">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Commission's Public
Notice, DA 21-753, in CG Docket Nos. 03-123 and 13-24, released on June
25, 2021. 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#72141111474246321411115c151d04"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="accacfcf999c98eccacfcf82cbc3da">[email protected]</span></a> or call the Consumer and Governmental
Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530.
Synopsis
1. On September 30, 2020, the Commission adopted Misuse of Internet
Protocol (IP) Captioned Telephone Service; Telecommunications Relay
Services and Speech-to-Speech Services for Individuals with Hearing and
Speech Disabilities, Report and Order, Order on Reconsideration, and
Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, published at 85 FR 64971,
October 14, 2020, and 86 FR 7681, February 1, 2021. Pursuant to the
Report and Order, TRS Fund compensation for the provision of IP CTS is
to be reduced from the current level of $1.42 per minute to $1.30 per
minute, effective July 1, 2021.
2. The Joint Providers contend that deferring the scheduled
compensation reduction would better enable the Commission to consider
the impact on compensation rates before adopting changes in applicable
service-quality standards, as proposed in the Further Notice of
Proposed Rulemaking. The Joint Providers point out that the currently
scheduled compensation adjustment follows a series of previous
adjustments ordered by the Commission over a three-year period, with
the goal of bringing TRS Fund compensation into line with reasonable
cost, and that these prior adjustments reduced per-minute IP CTS
compensation from $1.9467 (in the 2017-18 Fund Year) to the current
$1.42 level.
3. The Joint Providers also assert that ``significant uncertainty
as to future costs and demand'' has resulted from the ``protracted
impact of the [COVID-19] pandemic'' and the consequent adjustments made
by IP CTS providers ``to ensure high quality access for users.'' As a
result, the Joint Providers argue, ``a prudent approach is to halt
further rate reductions, determine the appropriate standards that will
be adopted for IP CTS, determine the impact of those standards on
normalized costs (i.e., not impacted by a worldwide pandemic), and
determine a long-term rate methodology that ensures continued
functional equivalence, innovation, and consumer choice for IP CTS
users.''
4. The Bureau seeks comment on the Joint Providers' request. In
particular, because there is insufficient information in the record to
evaluate some of the assertions in the request, and because the
Commission's analysis of the issues raised should be data driven, the
Bureau seeks additional information on the following:
<bullet> Current estimates are that $1.30 is substantially higher
than the average per-minute IP CTS cost projected for 2021-22. The
$1.30 per-minute compensation rate was adopted based on pre-COVID-19
estimates of average per-minute cost. To date, the impact of the COVID-
19 pandemic has been to reduce average per-minute IP CTS costs
substantially below the $1.30 cost-based rate adopted by the
Commission. Based on providers' cost and demand projections submitted
in March 2021, the TRS Fund administrator estimates a weighted average
cost for IP CTS (including a 10% operating margin) of $1.1169 per
minute--approximately 14% lower than the scheduled $1.30 compensation.
Have providers revised their projections of 2021-22 costs and demand?
If so, the Bureau seeks detailed information about such revised
projections and the basis on which they were revised, to enable a
determination of the likelihood that average per-minute costs (plus
operating margin) for the 2021-22 Fund Year will exceed the $1.30
level. Is there other reliable data supporting a compensation freeze at
the $1.42 level?
<bullet> The $1.30 per-minute rate that is scheduled to become
effective July 1 will expire at the end of the 2021-22 Fund Year. Is
freezing the rate at a higher level necessary at this time, or could
the Commission effectively address the impact of possible changes in
service-quality standards when setting compensation for the subsequent
rate period?
<bullet> While the Commission has proposed that metric standards be
developed for IP CTS caption delay and accuracy, no such standards have
been adopted to date. Nonetheless, the Bureau seeks information about
any investments in quality and technology improvements currently being
considered by providers. To what extent could such investments be
expected to cause a net increase in a provider's per-minute service
costs during the 2021-22 Fund Year?
<bullet> Given the industry's recent innovation, development, and
investment in automatic speech recognition, to what extent could such
investment in quality and technology improvements result in a decrease
in per-minute costs?
<bullet> If the Commission were to ``freeze'' IP CTS compensation
at the current $1.42 level, what increase would be needed in the
proposed TRS funding requirement and the contribution factor for
support of IP CTS? If such action were to be taken after the $1.30
compensation level becomes effective, should the Commission ``true up''
compensation retroactively to July 1? How should such a true-up be
handled?
Federal Communications Commission.
Gregory Haledjian,
Legal Advisor, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau.
[FR Doc. 2021-15008 Filed 7-14-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P
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