AT&T Seeks FCC Rulemaking and Waiver To Ease TTY-to-RTT Shift

AT&T wants the FCC to take long-term and near-term steps to usher in real-time text (RTT) as a replacement for text telephone devices (TTY) that traditionally provide the deaf and others with access to voice communications. In a petition for rulemaking Friday in docket 11-153, AT&T asked the FCC to explore modifying its rules to facilitate the transition from TTY to RTT as the "tool of choice for persons who are deaf, hearing impaired, or speech impaired to access newly deployed voice communications." AT&T said changing the rules would open up "real-time, accessible voice services" to persons with disabilities and potentially reduce financial pressures on the Telecom Relay Service Fund. AT&T said TTY is "obsolete," offers inferior functionality, does not operate reliably on VoIP platforms, and "has been largely abandoned by persons with disabilities." It urged the FCC to update its rules and "recognize RTT as equivalent to and a replacement for TTY." Relief from "anachronistic" TTY obligations was "a necessary first step" to allow for accessible IP-based solutions to emerge as VoIP becomes the preferred platform for voice communications, said the carrier. An accompanying petition for waiver asked the FCC to temporarily waive rules requiring covered service providers "to enable 911 and 711 short code dialing using a [TTY] device." Granting the waiver would "further the TTY-to-RTT transition, bring the benefits of IP-bases services, including voice, to the wireless marketplace, and enhance accessibility, without any reduction in current TTY support," AT&T said. The waiver should last "until the later of the date that AT&T deploys RTT (expected 2017) and the date that new RTT rules become effective," said the company.