Proposed Rule2025-16374
Telecommunications Relay Service ASCII Format Requirement
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
August 27, 2025
Effective
September 26, 2025
Issuing agencies
Federal Communications Commission
Abstract
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) proposes to modify the Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) rules to delete the requirement that traditional, Text Telephone (TTY)-based TRS be capable of communicating with the American Standard Code for Information Interexchange (ASCII) format. The record indicates that this format is outdated and rarely used today. Deleting the rule would reduce TRS costs, eliminate an outdated regulatory requirement, and update the Commission's standards to be more consistent with current usage of TTY-based relay service.
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 164 (Wednesday, August 27, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 164 (Wednesday, August 27, 2025)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 41804-41806]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-16374]
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Proposed Rules
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of
the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these
notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in
the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
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Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 164 / Wednesday, August 27, 2025 /
Proposed Rules
[[Page 41804]]
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
47 CFR Part 64
[CG Docket No. 03-123; FCC 25-35; FR ID 309789]
Telecommunications Relay Service ASCII Format Requirement
AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.
ACTION: Proposed rule.
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SUMMARY: In this document, the Federal Communications Commission
(Commission) proposes to modify the Telecommunications Relay Services
(TRS) rules to delete the requirement that traditional, Text Telephone
(TTY)-based TRS be capable of communicating with the American Standard
Code for Information Interexchange (ASCII) format. The record indicates
that this format is outdated and rarely used today. Deleting the rule
would reduce TRS costs, eliminate an outdated regulatory requirement,
and update the Commission's standards to be more consistent with
current usage of TTY-based relay service.
DATES: Comments are due on or before September 26, 2025; reply comments
are due on or before October 14, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Pursuant to Sec. Sec. 1.415 and 1.419 of the Commission's
rules, 47 CFR 1.415, 1.419, interested parties may file comments and
reply comments. Comments may be filed using ECFS. You may submit
comments, identified by CG Docket No. 03-123, by the following method:
<bullet> Electronic Filers. Comments may be filed electronically
using the internet by accessing the ECFS: <a href="https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs">https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs</a>.
<bullet> Paper Filers. Parties who choose to file by paper must
file an original and one copy of each filing.
<bullet> Filings can be sent by hand or messenger delivery, by
commercial courier, or by the U.S. Postal Service. All filings must be
addressed to the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission.
<bullet> Hand-delivered or messenger-delivered paper filings for
the Commission's Secretary are accepted between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
by the FCC's mailing contractor at 9050 Junction Drive, Annapolis
Junction, MD 20701. All hand deliveries must be held together with
rubber bands or fasteners. Any envelopes and boxes must be disposed of
before entering the building.
<bullet> Commercial courier deliveries (any deliveries not by the
U.S. Postal Service) must be sent to 9050 Junction Drive, Annapolis
Junction, MD 20701. Filings sent by U.S. Postal Service First-Class
Mail, Priority Mail, and Priority Mail Express must be sent to 45 L
Street NE, Washington, DC 20554.
<bullet> People with Disabilities. 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#8bede8e8bebbbfcbede8e8a5ece4fd"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="92f4f1f1a7a2a6d2f4f1f1bcf5fde4">[email protected]</span></a> or
call the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ike Ofobike, Disability Rights Office,
Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, at (202) 418-1028, or
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#7b32101e55341d141912101e3b1d1818551c140d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a8e1c3cd86e7cec7cac1c3cde8cecbcb86cfc7de">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Commission's Notice
of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), in CG Docket No. 03-123, FCC 25-35,
adopted on June 26, 2025, released on June 27, 2025. The full text of
this document can be accessed electronically via the Commission's
Electronic Document Manage System website at <a href="https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-25-35A1.pdf">https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-25-35A1.pdf</a>, or via the Commission's Electronic
Comment Filing System (ECFS) website at <a href="https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs">https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs</a>.
Ex Parte Rules. This proceeding shall be treated as a permit-but-
disclose proceeding in accordance with the Commission's ex parte rules.
47 CFR 1.1200 et seq. Persons making ex parte presentations must file a
copy of any written presentation or a memorandum summarizing any oral
presentation within two business days after the presentation (unless a
different deadline applicable to the Sunshine period applies). Persons
making oral ex parte presentations are reminded that memoranda
summarizing the presentation must (1) list all persons attending or
otherwise participating in the meeting at which the ex parte
presentation was made, and (2) summarize all data presented and
arguments made during the presentation. If the presentation consisted
in whole or in part of the presentation of data or arguments already
reflected in the presenter's written comments, memoranda, or other
filings in the proceeding, the presenter may provide citations to such
data or arguments in his or her prior comments, memoranda, or other
filings (specifying the relevant page and/or paragraph numbers where
such data or arguments can be found) in lieu of summarizing them in the
memorandum. Documents shown or given to Commission staff during ex
parte meetings are deemed to be written ex parte presentations and must
be filed consistent with Sec. 1.1206(b) of the Commission's rules. In
proceedings governed by Sec. 1.49(f) of the Commission's rules or for
which the Commission has made available a method of electronic filing,
written ex parte presentations and memoranda summarizing oral ex parte
presentations, and all attachments thereto, must be filed through the
electronic comment filing system available for that proceeding, and
must be filed in their native format (e.g., .doc, .xml, .ppt,
searchable .pdf). Participants in this proceeding should familiarize
themselves with the Commission's ex parte rules.
Providing Accountability Through Transparency Act: The Providing
Accountability Through Transparency Act, Public Law 118-9, requires
each agency, in providing notice of a rulemaking, to post online a
brief plain-language summary of the proposed rule. The required summary
of the NPRM is available at <a href="https://www.fcc.gov/proposed-rulemakings">https://www.fcc.gov/proposed-rulemakings</a>.
Initial Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 Analysis
The NPRM may contain proposed new or modified information
collection requirements. The Commission, as part of its continuing
effort to reduce paperwork burdens, invites the general public and the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to comment on the information
collection requirements contained in this document, as required by the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. In addition,
pursuant to the Small Business Paperwork Relief Act of 2002, Public Law
107-198, see 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(4),
[[Page 41805]]
the Commission seeks specific comment on how it might further reduce
the information collection burden for small business concerns with
fewer than 25 employees.
Synopsis
1. Title IV of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA),
codified at section 225 of the Communications Act (the Act), as
amended, requires the Commission to ensure that TRS is available, to
the extent possible and in the most efficient manner, to enable people
with hearing or speech disabilities to communicate with other telephone
users in a manner that is functionally equivalent to voice
communication service. In accordance with this directive, the
Commission has adopted mandatory minimum standards for TRS. 47 U.S.C.
225(a)(3), (b)(1). Before 2000, relay services were limited to
converting voice communication to text, and vice versa, and were
provided via analog telephone networks, with the text being transmitted
using a TTY or TTY-compatible device. Since then, the Commission has
recognized other forms of TRS as eligible for compensation from the TRS
Fund. To make a traditional TRS call, a TTY user calls a TRS relay
center and types the number of the person he or she wishes to call. A
Communications Assistant at the relay center then makes a voice
telephone call to the other party to the call, and relays the call back
and forth between the parties by speaking what a text user types, and
typing what a voice telephone user speaks.
2. TTYs generally use the Baudot coding format, and today almost
all TTY conversation is transmitted in Baudot. When the initial rules
for TRS were being adopted, however, the ASCII format was widely used
to transmit data and text between personal computers over the telephone
network. To ensure that TTY users could access relay services using any
text telephone or personal computer, the Commission required that TRS
be able to transmit in both ASCII and Baudot, at any speed generally in
use. 47 CFR 64.604(b)(1).
3. On August 24, 2022, T-Mobile Accessibility (T-Mobile) filed a
Petition for Rulemaking asking the Commission to initiate a rulemaking
to amend Sec. 64.604(b)(1) of the Commission's rules by eliminating
the reference to ASCII, on the grounds that ASCII is an obsolete and
infrequently used format. On November 22, 2024, the Consumer and
Governmental Affairs Bureau (Bureau) granted the current providers of
TTY-based TRS conditional waivers of the ASCII requirement.
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
4. The Commission proposes to delete the requirement, codified in
Sec. 64.604(b)(1) of the Commission's rules, that TTY-based relay
services support the ASCII format. The record indicates that the amount
of usage of TTY-based TRS in the ASCII format is exceedingly small.
Based on providers' reports, it appears that total ASCII usage of TTY-
based TRS did not exceed 87 minutes in April-June 2022, or
approximately 0.01% of total TTY-based TRS minutes for that period.
There also does not appear to be any prospect of a resurgence in usage
of ASCII-based TTY. According to T-Mobile, there are no new ASCII-
compatible TTY devices currently available in the market. Further,
there is evidence that the ASCII requirement imposes costs on TRS
providers and hinders them from implementing service enhancements.
5. Therefore, the Commission tentatively concludes that the
objective of section 225 of the Act--to make TRS available to the
extent possible, and in the most efficient manner--is no longer served
by requiring that TTY-based TRS be capable of communicating in the
ASCII format. The Commission seeks comment on its proposal and this
tentative conclusion.
6. In addition, as a housekeeping matter, the Commission proposes
to delete the second sentence of Sec. 64.604(b)(1) of its rules, which
states that ``[o]ther forms of TRS are not subject to this
requirement.'' Because the first sentence of the provision already
makes clear that the ASCII-Baudot rule applies only to TTY-based TRS,
the second sentence is unnecessary surplusage. The Commission seeks
comment on this proposed housekeeping edit.
7. Benefits and Costs. The Commission seeks comment on the specific
costs and benefits of its proposal and any alternatives suggested by
commenters. The record indicates that eliminating this requirement, so
that providers of TTY-based TRS need only support the Baudot format,
would reduce providers' hardware costs. The Commission seeks comment on
the amount of hardware costs that would be saved by eliminating the
ASCII requirement. The Commission also seeks comment on the amount of
cost savings associated with network upgrades that would flow from this
policy change. Alternatively, given that the ASCII requirement is
currently waived, commenters may provide estimates of the hardware and
network upgrade costs that would be imposed if the waiver were to
expire with no change in the applicable rule.
8. Are there any remaining benefits from the availability of TRS in
the ASCII format that could justify the cost of maintaining ASCII
capability, notwithstanding the extremely low usage of that format? Is
there an identifiable number of consumers who continue to use TTY-based
TRS in the ASCII format? If so, why are these consumers still using
that format, rather than alternatives such as Baudot-format TRS, real-
time text (RTT), internet Protocol Relay Service (IP Relay), or video
relay service (VRS)? What are the costs and burdens to any consumers
who still need to transition from the ASCII format to an alternative?
TTY-based TRS providers state that migrating their remaining ASCII
users to alternative options would be seamless, straightforward, and
have minimal impact on users. What steps could be taken to mitigate or
otherwise limit the costs and burdens to ASCII-users in transitioning
to an alternative format or service? Should the Commission encourage
TRS providers to provide affected consumers with advance notice and
information about other options for continuing access to TTY services?
9. Additionally, the Commission notes that two of the three
alternative relay services mentioned above, VRS and IP Relay, are
internet-based services, preventing migration to those services by
current users of TTY-based TRS in the ASCII format that may not yet
have access to broadband services. For such consumers, continuing to
use TTY-based service, while switching to the Baudot format, may be the
most viable option. The Commission seeks comment on the cost to a
consumer of switching from ASCII to Baudot format. Specifically, are
consumers that currently use the ASCII format likely to have devices
with a Baudot setting, or would they need to purchase a Baudot-
compatible device? If the latter, what is the average cost of such
devices? For those TRS users living in states with equipment
distribution programs that include TTY devices, should the Commission
require TRS providers terminating support for the ASCII format to
provide information on the program and how to apply? Or, to avoid
imposing an undue burden on any TTY user, should the Commission require
the TRS provider to offer to make available a Baudot-format TTY at its
own expense and without cost to the user? Given how few ASCII-format
TTY users there are, would the cost of such a requirement be minimal
for the TRS provider? How would this potential one-time cost to
transition customers compare to the
[[Page 41806]]
longer term savings associated with retiring obsolete hardware and
software?
10. With the information currently available, the Commission
tentatively concludes that the cost savings for TTY service providers
outweigh any costs that would be incurred if a small number of ASCII-
based TTY users still need to transition to an alternative service. The
Commission seeks comment on this tentative conclusion. Comments should
be accompanied by data and analysis supporting claimed costs and
benefits.
Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis
11. As required by the Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980, as
amended, the Commission has prepared an Initial Regulatory Flexibility
Analysis (IRFA) concerning the possible or potential impact of the rule
and policy changes contained in the NPRM. The Commission invites the
general public, in particular small businesses, to comment on the IRFA.
Comments must be identified as responses to the IRFA and must be filed
by the deadlines provided in the item.
12. Need for, and Objective of, Proposed Rules. In the NPRM, the
Commission proposes to amend its rules to eliminate the requirement
that TTY relay service providers offer users the service in the ASCII
format, as it has become an outdated and infrequently used format.
13. In addition to the near-obsolescence of the ASCII format, the
Commission takes these steps because TTY users also have access to
Baudot format, which is more commonly used. At present, there are only
two providers of TTY-based telecommunications relay service, and usage
of ASCII-format TTY totaled less than 100 minutes during three months
in 2022, with less than 10 users placing calls in any month. Based on
these reports, it appears that total ASCII usage of TTY-based TRS was
limited to approximately 0.01% of total TTY-based minutes for that
period, while Baudot format TTY would account for the remaining TTY-
based minutes. Furthermore, retaining the requirement to support ASCII-
format TTY relay service limits the ability of TTY providers to upgrade
and improve their networks for delivery of enhanced services.
Eliminating the ASCII-support requirement will ultimately benefit both
TTY users and providers by facilitating network upgrades by providers
while TTY users can continue communicating with Baudot-format TTY or
other forms of text-based TRS.
14. Legal Basis. The authority for this proposed rulemaking is
contained in Sec. Sec. 1, (4)(i), (4)(j), and 225 of the Act.
15. Description and Estimate of the Number of Small Entities
Impacted. If the proposed amendment is adopted, the rule will affect
the obligations of providers of TTY relay services. These services can
be included within the economic categories Small Businesses, Small
Organizations, Small Governmental Jurisdictions and All Other
Telecommunications. The Commission estimates that the majority of ``All
Other Telecommunications'' firms can be considered small.
16. Description of Projected Reporting, Recordkeeping, and Other
Compliance Requirements. Currently, there are only two providers of TTY
relay service. To facilitate a transition to TTY-based service using
the Baudot format, for consumers without access to broadband services,
the Commission seeks comment on whether to require small and other TTY
providers to provide information about State equipment distribution
programs that make Baudot-format TTY-devices available, where
available. It also seeks comment on whether to require TRS providers to
make available a Baudot-format TTY device to ASCII-format TTY users,
without cost to the user. Other than changes resulting from these
proposals, TRS compliance requirements would remain unchanged. The
Commission requests comment on whether the cost of compliance for these
requirements will be minimal for small TRS providers. The information
received in comments will help the Commission identify and evaluate
relevant compliance matters, costs, and other burdens for small
entities that may result from the proposals and inquiries made in the
NPRM.
17. Steps Taken to Minimize Significant Impact on Small Entities,
and Significant Alternatives Considered. The proposed amendment to the
Commission's rules governing TRS is designed to facilitate upgrades to
providers' networks by eliminating the requirement to support rarely
used ASCII format. This amendment would only affect two TTY relay
service providers and a handful of ASCII-format TTY users, who account
for a very small number of TTY call minutes. Among the alternatives
considered that may impact small entities, NPRM inquires as to whether
the Commission should require TRS providers to incur the costs of
making Baudot-format TTY devices available given the small number of
ASCII-format TTY users. The Commission believes that any burdens on
small entities will be offset by decreasing the costs to the networks
of supporting the outmoded ASCII format.
18. The Commission seeks comment from all interested parties,
particularly those of small business entities. Small entities are
encouraged to bring to the Commission's attention any specific concerns
they may have with the proposals outlined in the NPRM and outline any
suggested alternatives. The Commission expects to consider the economic
impact on small entities, as identified in comments filed in response
to the NPRM, in reaching its final conclusions and taking action in
this proceeding.
19. Federal Rules Which Duplicate, Overlap, or Conflict with, the
Commission's Proposals. None.
List of Subjects in 47 CFR Part 64
Communications, Communications common carriers, Communications
equipment, Individuals with disabilities, Telecommunications.
Federal Communications Commission.
Katura Jackson,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, Office of the Secretary.
Proposed Rules
For the reasons discussed in the preamble, the Federal
Communications Commission proposes to amend 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), 255, 262,
276, 403(b)(2)(B), (c), 616, 620, 716, 1401-1473, unless otherwise
noted; Pub. L. 115-141, Div. P, sec. 503, 132 Stat. 348, 1091; Pub.
L. 117-338, 136 Stat. 6156.
0
2. Amend Sec. 64.604 by revising paragraph (b)(1) to read as follows:
Sec. 64.604 Mandatory minimum standards.
* * * * *
(b) * * *
(1) Baudot. TTY-based relay service shall be capable of
communicating with Baudot format.
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 2025-16374 Filed 8-26-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P
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