Press Release

PUC Announces Appointment to PA Telecommunications Relay Service Advisory Board

Published on 1/12/2012

Filed under: Telecommunications

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) today announced the appointment of Stephen H. Schultz to its Pennsylvania Telecommunications Relay Service Advisory Board.

The Commission appointed Schultz to serve for a two-year term that will expire on March 30, 2014.  The Board advises the Commission on matters related to Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS), which enables people who are deaf, hard of hearing and speech disabled to communicate by phone or other means with the hearing public. 

Schultz is the government affairs chairperson for the Pennsylvania Chapter of the Hearing Loss Association of the Capital Region, which is an affiliate of the Hearing Loss Association of America. 

Traditional TRS is an AT&T phone service regulated by the PUC.  Captioned telephone relay service, provided by Hamilton Telecommunications, also is regulated by the PUC.  While not regulated by the PUC, Video Relay and Internet Relay are also available relay services. 

Users dial 7-1-1 to connect to a Communications Assistant (CA) who follows a strict code of ethics and confidentiality.  With traditional relay, the CA relays the messages between the parties on the call by typing out the conversation as needed.  With Captioned Telephone Relay Service (CTRS), the conversation is captured by voice recognition and appears on a special telephone screen as needed. 

The TRS Board is comprised of representatives from the following:  AT&T Communications of Pennsylvania LLC, Hamilton Telecommunications, the Pennsylvania Telephone Association, the PUC, the Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and the community of people who are deaf or hard of hearing or who have language or speech disorders.  The Board meets quarterly in Harrisburg, and its purpose is to review the performance of the jurisdictional relay services system in Pennsylvania consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 as amended and all Commission TRS-related orders and policies.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission ensures safe, reliable and reasonably priced electric, natural gas, water, telephone and transportation service for Pennsylvania consumers, by regulating public utilities and by serving as stewards of competition.

For recent news releases, or more information about the PUC, visit our Internet homepage at www.puc.state.pa.us.  For more information about TRS and CTRS, visit http://www.puc.state.pa.us/telecom/telecom_relay_service.aspx

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Docket Number M-00900239

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  717-787-5722