82 FR 28566 - Structure and Practices of the Video Relay Services Program

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 120 (June 23, 2017)

In this document, the Commission sets aside the effectiveness, in part, of the VRS Interoperability Order, in which the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau (CGB) incorporated certain technical standards on video relay service (VRS) interoperability into the Commission's telecommunications relay service (TRS) rules, pending the Commission's consideration of server-based routing.

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 120 (Friday, June 23, 2017)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 28566-28567]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-12957]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 64

[CG Docket Nos. 10-51 and 03-123; FCC 17-26]


Structure and Practices of the Video Relay Services Program

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Final rule; delay of compliance date.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In this document, the Commission sets aside the effectiveness, 
in part, of the VRS Interoperability Order, in which the Consumer and 
Governmental Affairs Bureau (CGB) incorporated certain technical 
standards on video relay service (VRS) interoperability into the 
Commission's telecommunications relay service (TRS) rules, pending the 
Commission's consideration of server-based routing.

DATES: Effective June 23, 2017 the compliance date for the VRS Provider 
Interoperability Profile, 47 CFR 64.621(b), as published at 82 FR 
19322, April 27, 2017 is delayed indefinitely.

ADDRESSES: Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th Street SW., 
Washington, DC 20554.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bob Aldrich, Consumer and Governmental 
Affairs Bureau, (202) 418-0996, email [email protected], or Eliot 
Greenwald, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, (202) 418-2235, 
email [email protected].

[[Page 28567]]


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Commission's 
Structure and Practices of the Video Relay Service Program; 
Telecommunications Relay Services and Speech-to-Speech Services for 
Individuals with Hearing and Speech Disabilities, Order, document FCC 
17-26, adopted on March 23, 2017, and released on March 23, 2017 in CG 
Docket Nos. 10-51 and 03-123. The Notice of Inquiry and Further Notice 
of Proposed Rulemaking, FCC 17-26, adopted on March 23, 2017, and 
released on March 23, 2017, was published at 82 FR 17613, April 12, 
2017; and the Report and Order, FCC 17-26, adopted on March 23, 2017, 
and released on March 23, 2017, was published at 82 FR 17754, April 13, 
2017. The full text of these documents are available for public 
inspection and copying via ECFS, and during regular business hours at 
the FCC Reference Information Center, Portals II, 445 12th Street SW., 
Room CY-A257, Washington, DC 20554. To request materials in accessible 
formats for people with disabilities (Braille, large print, electronic 
files, audio format), send an email to [email protected] or call the 
Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530 (voice), 
(844) 432-2272 (videophone), or (202) 418-0432 (TTY).

Congressional Review Act

    The Commission sent a copy of document FCC 17-26 to Congress and 
the Government Accountability Office pursuant to the Congressional 
Review Act, see 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A).

Final Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 Analysis

    FCC 17-26 Report and Order contains a modified information 
collection. The Commission, as part of its continuing effort to reduce 
paperwork burdens, invites the general public to comment on the 
modified information collection requirements contained in FCC 17-26 
Report and Order, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), 
Public Law 104-13, in a separate published Federal Register Notice 
(Notice). Public and agency comments are due on or before August 11, 
2017. See Information Collection Being Reviewed by the Federal 
Communications Commission, Notice, published at 82 FR 26927, June 12, 
2017. In addition, this document 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, see 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(4).

Synopsis

Order on Server Based Routing

    1. By way of background, in the VRS Interoperability Order, DA 17-
76, the VRS Provider Interoperability Profile that was incorporated 
into the Commission's rules provides for the routing of inter-provider 
VRS and point-to-point video calls to a server of the terminating VRS 
provider that serves multiple VRS users and devices, rather than 
directly to a specific device. The technical standard specifies the 
inclusion of call routing information in the TRS Numbering Directory 
that contains, in addition to the call recipient's telephone number, a 
VRS provider domain name, rather than a user-specific IP address. 
However, 47 CFR 64.613(a) currently requires that the URI for a VRS 
user's telephone number ``shall contain the IP address of the user's 
device.''
    2. The Commission has determined that until it acts on the Further 
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in document FCC 17-26, which proposes to 
amend 47 CFR 64.613 to allow such server-based routing, 47 CFR 64.613 
does not authorize VRS providers to provide to and retrieve from the 
TRS Numbering Directory the routing information specified by the VRS 
Provider Interoperability Profile.
    3. Document DA 17-76 sets August 25, 2017 as the deadline for 
compliance with the VRS Provider Interoperability Profile. 47 CFR 
64.621(b)(1). To avoid the possibility of subjecting VRS providers to 
conflicting obligations pending Commission action on the Further Notice 
of Proposed Rulemaking, in document FCC 17-26 Order, the Commission 
sets aside on its own motion the effectiveness of document DA 17-76 and 
47 CFR 64.621(b)(1) with respect to the August 25, 2017 deadline for 
compliance with the VRS Provider Interoperability Profile.

Ordering Clauses

    Pursuant to sections 1, 2, 225, and 251 of the Communications Act 
of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 151, 152, 225, 251, document FCC 17-26 
is adopted.
    The Commission's Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, 
Reference Information Center, has sent a copy of document FCC 17-26 to 
the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small Business Administration.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene H. Dortch,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017-12957 Filed 6-22-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6712-01-P