## ![](media/image1.png)PUBLIC NOTICE

Federal Communications Commission News media Information 202/ 418-0500

445 12^th^ St. S.W. Fax-On-Demand 202/418-2830

## Washington, D.C. 20554 TTY 202/418-2555

##  Internet: [http://www.fcc.gov]{.underline}

##  [ftp.fcc.gov](ftp://ftp.fcc.gov/)

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## DA 04-1599

## Released: June 2, 2004

CONSUMER & GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS BUREAU REMINDS STATES AND
TELECOMMUNICATIONS RELAY SERVICES (TRS) PROVIDERS THAT THE ANNUAL
SUMMARY OF CONSUMER COMPLAINTS CONCERNING TRS IS DUE THURSDAY, JULY 1,
2004

The Federal Communications Commission's Consumer & Governmental Affairs
Bureau reminds states and telecommunications relay services (TRS)
providers that they must submit their annual consumer complaint log
summaries for the 12-month period ending May 31, 2004, on or before July
1, 2004.

To assist the Commission in monitoring the service quality of TRS
providers, the Commission requires state TRS programs and interstate TRS
providers to maintain a log of consumer complaints that allege
violations of the federal TRS mandatory minimum standards.[^1] State TRS
programs should report all complaints made to the state agency, as well
as those made to the state's TRS provider. TRS providers that provide
interstate TRS, interstate STS, interstate Spanish relay, interstate
captioned telephone relay, VRS, and IP Relay are required to submit
complaint log summaries. These logs are intended to provide an early
warning system to the Commission of possible service quality problems.
Additionally, this information allows the Commission to determine
whether a state or interstate TRS provider has appropriately addressed
consumer complaints and to spot national trends that may lend themselves
to coordinated solutions. This information further enables states to
learn how other states are resolving complaints.[^2]

Complaint log summaries should include information pertaining to
complaints received between June 1, 2003, and May 31, 2004. Complaint
log summaries shall include the number of complaints received that
allege a violation of the federal TRS mandatory minimum standards, the
date of the complaint, the nature of the complaint, the date of its
resolution, and an explanation of the resolution.[^3]

We note that according to the data presented in the state complaint log
summary submissions for 2003, more than thirty million outgoing calls
were placed by individuals through state relay facilities. Approximately
thirty-five hundred complaints were reported that alleged a violation of
one or more of the Commission's mandatory minimum standards for TRS.[^4]
This number represents that less than one hundredth of a percent (.01%)
of TRS calls, a statistically negligible number, resulted in an alleged
violation of required service standards. This is good news for TRS
users. At the same time, the complaint log summaries identified some
areas where there is room for improvement. Over seventy-five percent of
all complaints stemmed from the interaction between the calling party
and the communications assistant. We therefore remind TRS providers and
state administrators that their CAs must, among other things, be
knowledgeable of TRS procedures, follow customer's instructions, and
continue to keep callers informed about the progress of their call.

The complaint log summaries that have been submitted to the Commission
by state TRS programs for 2002 and 2003 are currently available on the
FCC website at <http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/dro/trs_by_state.html>. All 2004
complaint log summary submissions by state TRS programs and interstate
TRS providers will also be available on this website.

States and interstate TRS providers who choose to submit by paper must
submit an original and four copies of each filing on or before Tuesday,
July 1, 2003. To expedite the processing of complaint log summaries,
states and interstate TRS providers are encouraged to submit an
additional copy to Attn: Erica Myers, Federal Communications Commission,
Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau, 445 12^th^ Street, SW, Room
6-A432, Washington, DC 20554 or by email at <Erica.Myers@fcc.gov>.
States and interstate TRS providers should also submit electronic disk
copies of their complaint log summaries on a standard 3.5 inch diskette
formatted in an IBM compatible format using Word 97 or compatible
software. The diskette should be submitted in "read-only" mode and must
be clearly labeled with the State or interstate TRS provider name, the
filing date and captioned "Complaint Log Summary."

Filings can be sent by hand or messenger delivery, by electronic media,
by commercial overnight courier, or by first-class or overnight U.S.
Postal Service mail (although we continue to experience delays in
receiving U.S. Postal Service mail). The Commission\'s contractor,
Natek, Inc., will receive hand-delivered or messenger-delivered paper
filings or electronic media for the Commission\'s Secretary at 236
Massachusetts Avenue, NE, Suite 110, Washington, D.C. 20002. The filing
hours at this location are 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. All hand deliveries
must be held together with rubber bands or fasteners. Any envelopes must
be disposed of before entering the building. Commercial and electronic
media sent by overnight mail (other than U.S. Postal Service Express
Mail and Priority Mail) must be sent to 9300 East Hampton Drive, Capitol
Heights, MD 20743. U.S. Postal Service first-class mail, Express Mail,
and Priority Mail should be addressed to 445 12th Street, SW,
Washington, D.C. 20554. All filings must be addressed to the
Commission\'s Secretary, Marlene H. Dortch, Office of the Secretary,
Federal Communications Commission, 445 12^th^ Street, SW, Room TW-B204,
Washington, DC 20554.

The filings and comments will be available for public inspection and
copying during regular business hours at the FCC Reference Information
Center, Portals II, 445 12^th^ Street, SW, Room CY-A257, Washington, DC
20554. They may also be purchased from the Commission's duplicating
contractor, Qualex International, Portals II, 44512^th^ Street, SW, Room
CY-B402, Washington, DC 20554, telephone (202) 863-2893, facsimile (202)
863-2898, or via e-mail <qualexint@aol.com>. Filings and comments may
also be viewed on the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau, Disability
Rights Office homepage at <http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/dro>.

To request materials in accessible formats for people with disabilities
(Braille, large print, electronic files, auto format), send an e-mail to
<fcc504@fcc.gov> or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at
202-418-0531 (voice), 202-418-7365 (TTY). This *Public Notice* can also
be downloaded in Text and ASCII formats at <http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/dro>.

For further information regarding this *Public Notice*, contact Erica
Myers, Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau, Disability Rights Office
(202) 418-2429 (voice), (202) 418-0464 (TTY), or e-mail
[Erica.Myers@fcc.gov](mailto:dljackso@fcc.gov).

**- FCC -**

[^1]: *See* *Telecommunications Relay Services and Speech-to-Speech
    Services for Individuals with Hearing and Speech Disabilities*,
    Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, FCC
    00-56, 15 FCC Rcd 5140 (March 6, 2000) (*Improved TRS Order);* 47
    C.F.R. §64.604 ("Mandatory Minimum Standards").

[^2]: *Id*. at ¶ 122.

[^3]: *See* 47 C.F.R. § 64.604 (c)(1).

[^4]: *See* 47 C.F.R. § 64.604.