Many have asked what are Purple’s views on the proposed rates. We have studied the NECA report extensively and we filed our comments on this issue last Friday We strongly endorse the multi-year multi-tier methodology. The past few years have seen that stability and predictability leads to competition, innovation and development of new technology.

In the meantime, we are endorsing NECA’s proposed rates based on historical data with the understanding that Tier 1 and 2 be expanded and that the rates be adjusted to compensate for missing or miscalculated costs.

You can read our comments as well as comments from other providers and consumer organizations.

Purple Comments

AT&T
Consumer Organizations
Convo
CSDVRS
Pah!Vrs
RID
Snap
Sorenson

The National Exchange Carrier Association, Inc. (NECA), the administrator of the
Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) Fund, has filed its annual report which includes proposed compensation rates, demand projections, projected fund size and proposed carrier contribution factor for the period July 2010 through June 2011.

The report can be viewed here.

The FCC released its first-ever Paper on Accessibility and Technology Issues.

The paper is titled A Giant Leap & A Big Deal: Delivering on the Promise of Equal Access to Broadband for People with Disabilities.

In its news release, the FCC stated:

“Only 42 percent of people with disabilities have high-speed Internet services at home — and an astounding 39 percent of all non-adopters have a disability,” said Joel Gurin, Chief of the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau. “This is not acceptable, and we are implementing an ambitious accessibility agenda to ensure that people with disabilities are not left behind.”

The document looks on how to take down barriers that people with disabilities face in affording and using Broadband (high speed Internet) services.

Purple applauds the FCC for taking this step. A few years ago, we filed a letter with the FCC noting this problem and how so many deaf people do not yet have access to Broadband–and urged the FCC to establish and implement a national broadband policy.

We’re really very happy with the work the FCC has been doing lately on this front!

The video discusses the FCC Order extending permissive use of toll-free numbers and the value of local numbers.

The National Association of the Deaf says that local numbers are superior to toll free numbers. Click here and here for more information.

For my previous post on toll free numbers, you can click here.