Idaho Administrative Code
Title IDAPA 31 - Public Utilities Commission
Rule 31.46.02 - RULES FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS RELAY SERVICES (TRS)
THE TRS PROGRAM, ADMINISTRATOR, AND PROVIDER
Section 31.46.02.100 - REQUIREMENTS OF THE TRS PROGRAM

Universal Citation: ID Admin Code 31.46.02.100

Current through August 31, 2023

01. Operational Requirements. A TRS provider will comply with these operational requirements: (3-31-22)

a. TRS must be provided twenty-four (24) hours per day, seven (7) days per week, every day of the year. (3-31-22)

b. The TRS provider shall not refuse calls or limit the length of calls using TRS, except that providers of TRS may decline to complete a call because credit authorization has been denied. (3-31-22)

c. The TRS provider must be capable of communicating with text telephone users using either the ASCII or Baudot format, at any speed generally in use. (3-31-22)

d. Except during network failure, the TRS provider shall answer eighty-five percent (85%) of all calls within ten (10) seconds, and no more than thirty (30) seconds shall elapse between receipt of dialing information and the dialing of a requested number. The TRS provider shall include adequate staffing to provide callers with efficient access under projected calling volumes so that the probability of a busy response due to unavailability of communications assistants will be functionally equivalent to what a voice caller would experience in attempting to reach a party through the voice telephone network. (3-31-22)

e. The TRS provider shall give TRS users access through the TRS to their chosen inter-exchange carrier and to all other operator services to the same extent that such access is provided to voice users. (3-31-22)

02. Communications Assistants' Handling of Calls. TRS providers must require that communications assistants (CAs) be sufficiently trained to effectively meet the specialized communication needs of individuals with hearing and speech disabilities and that communications assistants have competent skills in typing, grammar, spelling, interpretation of typewritten ASL, and familiarity with hearing and speech disability cultures, languages and etiquette. Communications assistants are prohibited from disclosing the content of any relayed conversation regardless of content and from keeping records of the content of any conversation beyond the duration of a call. Communications assistants are prohibited from intentionally altering a relayed conversation and must relay all conversations verbatim unless the relay user specifically requests summarization. Communications assistants must relay all messages promptly and accurately. (3-31-22)

03. Rates. The users of TRS shall pay rates no greater than the rates paid for functionally equivalent voice communication services with respect to such factors as the duration of the call, the time of day, and the distance from point of origination to the point of termination. In particular, this means that when a telephone call from one customer to another would not incur long-distance charges if the call were placed directly without use of the TRS system, then there will be no long-distance charge for that call when the TRS system is used, even if the TRS provider is located in a telephone exchange that would ordinarily require a long-distance call to reach the calling or answering party. (3-31-22)

04. Other Standards and Services. The standards and services required for TRS providers by this rule are minimum standards and services. The request for proposal for TRS services may require additional standards or services, or if the request for proposals does not, the selection of the TRS provider may take into account the ability of the TRS provider to meet standards or provide services in addition to the minimum standards or services required by this rule. (3-31-22)

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