Small Companies Raise Questions on Proposed TRS Formulas
The FCC received both support and additional questions in response to a public notice on the telecommunications relay services (TRS) fund administrator’s latest proposed provider compensation formulas and funding requirements (see 2505220039). Comments were due Friday in docket 03-123. The proposed formulas would apply starting July 1 and run through June 30, 2026.
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The Small Company Coalition, which represents small, rural and tribal telecom companies, said the notice raises questions that are difficult to answer without more information. “We are all susceptible to falling into the trap of following a particular policy or procedure simply because ‘that’s the way it was always done in the past,’” the group said. “However, just because something was done in a particular way in the past, it doesn’t mean that we should automatically continue to do so.”
Hamilton Relay supported the proposed rates in general but opposed any move to change how the rates are calculated. “As a policy matter, Hamilton supports the Commission engaging all stakeholders in order to complete the necessary steps to move TRS into an all-digital environment,” the company said. The FCC “must ensure that all TRS users receive functionally equivalent service, without the risk of [traditional wireline] relay users being ‘left behind’ during the transition and stripped of access to services that meet their critical needs -- needs that are protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act.”