Internet
Protocol (IP) Relay Panel Discussion
By Cheryl
Heppner
Editor: Are you familiar with
Internet Protocol (IP) Relay? It's a relay service that allows TTY users
to make or receive relay calls using a computer instead of a TTY.
Because internet-connected computers are much more common than TTYs, IP
Relay really opens up telecommunications access to folks who struggle
with a standard voice phone.
Here's Cheryl Heppner's
report on the IP Relay Panel Discussion at last years TDI Conference. If
you'd like to share this report, be sure to credit NVRC. Attribution
information is at the end of this article.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Moderator: Judy Viera
Panelists:
Mike Baer, Sprint
Eric Emmons, Sorenson Communications
Anne Girard, Hamilton
Mark Stern, GoAmerica
Bill McClellan, MCI
Q: How do you explain the
rapid growth of IP Relay?
Bill McClellan: Ease of use.
When the FCC enabled IP relay, all major relay providers jumped in and
developed more and more products. It became easier than using TTY for
relay. As the product became more accessible, Instant Message (IM)-style
relay was launched, and all kinds of wireless devices could be used. Now
a hearing person doesn't have to know how to dial a number and jump
through steps to reach you.
Eric Emmons: IP relay became
more practical as computers became more common at home, work, when
visiting others, and at the library. Computers are more comfortable to
use than a TTY. You can get a larger screen that is at a better angle
for viewing. There are also more people who use pagers and other mobile
devices.
Anne Girard: Call processing
is completely different on IP relay. Handling is fast, making less lag
time for both the hearing and deaf or hard of hearing person.
Mark Stern: TTYs don't allow
people to talk at the same time, but IP relay can. Computer prices have
dropped to where they can be bought for as little as $300. The ability
to make long distance calls free of charge was also an attraction.
Mike Baer: Agreed with
previous speakers. The growth has been so explosive that IP relay
providers underestimated how much it would be used this year.
~~~~~
Q: What telecommunication
trends are likely to impact IP Relay?
Eric Emmons: Mobile device
use will grow more than computer use because of the advantage of being
able to take and use them anywhere.
Anne Girard: Hearing people
were used to getting a voice call, but now more are comfortable using
IM. This might lead them to use more IM to IM communication instead of
going through the relay service.
Mark Stern: Some
telecommunications relay service requirements have been waived, such as
handling 911 calls. There's a trend that will probably lead to making a
decision about location-finding on internet-based relay services.
Bill McClellan: More people
are able to be in contact more frequently and there will be an explosion
of devices with connectivity. So far the FCC's decisions have supported
innovation and competition, creating a competitive field with consumer
choice of various providers.
~~~~~
Q: At present, IP Relay is
not required to meet certain mandates. What standards should be
implemented or not implemented?
Mike Baer: Recommends
applying telecommunications relay services to all the forms of services,
but some services will pose problems. Voice carry over and hearing carry
over are impossible right now, due to limitations of the technology.
Long distance billing is also tough but needs to be the same as local
billing.
Eric Emmons: The FCC has a
good reason to waive the 911 requirement. Also if two people are on IP
relay and then decide they want to continue the conversation on their
own, there is no current solution to do this via call release. VOIP use
with IP relay could be possible if the voice part is solved.
Bill McClellan: It shouldn't
be about minimum standards; it should be about consumers want. Most
standards are being met. Some of the ones waived are technologically
impossible to do. Some things done by video relay services could also be
done by IP relay. The VOIP mandate from the FCC could probably apply
because it's the same technology. Things currently being waived are
likely to be solved soon.
~~~~~
Q: If an emergency call came
to you now, how would you manage it?
Bill McClellan: MCI's IP
relay website informs the consumer to use a TTY to call 911 so the 911
center can get the location of the call. But if an emergency request
does come in over IP relay, it will be processed. The consumer will be
asked for the city and state where the call is being placed, and MCI
will use a database of emergency center information they maintain
nationally.
Anne Girard: Hamilton's
approach is similar to MCI's in both educating consumers and processing
the calls.
Mike Baer: Sprint has tested
911 through the Internet but hasn't yet solved all the problems and thus
can't yet support it. It will be available in the future.
~~~~~
Q: What do the consumer and
operator screens look like during a call, and how do you handle knowing
when to take turns?
Eric Emmons: Sorenson
provides users an option. Some people prefer the option that's like
Instant Messaging, where both people can 'talk' at the same time. Others
want the option of taking turns.
Mike Baer: Consecutive typing
has been a selling point because people use it out of habit. Sprint
prefers the operator to be neutral and let the two parties manage the
call. Some consumers want to remove the "GA" that signals to
the other person that it's their turn to talk.
Mark Stern: Some situations
have different rules. The death of "GA" is probably coming
soon.
Bill McClellan: From the
technological point of view, there is no reason why IP relay can't allow
simultaneous conversations. Most of the problem in a call with a hearing
person is that they are not accustomed to waiting. The challenge is for
the operator who must listen, type, and talk back and forth, which
requires retraining.
Anne Girard: People with
pagers who use IP relay use "GA" much less.
~~~~~
Q: We know as consumers what
we've experienced on an IP Relay call, but what is it like for hearing
people?
Eric Emmons: Feedback from
hearing people has been positive. When they got calls through
traditional relay, they would forget to say "GA" anyway and
have to be reminded. He formerly had a business and found that hearing
people would get tired of waiting for a response and say "I have to
go now." That no longer happens with IP relay.
Anne Girard: As a hearing
person, she likes it, especially the ability to interrupt the deaf
person just as she could in a call with another hearing person.
Mark Stern: The training of
the operators is one of the main reasons for a better experience.
GoAmerica's training is week-long.
Bill McClellan: Hearing
people are basically lazy in making their phone calls; that is why the
ability to dial 711 to make a call was so important. The less cumbersome
the call is, the better. MCI now allows consumers to customize the call,
and they can choose how they set up a conversation. One of the options
is not to announce or explain that it is an IP relay call.
~~~~~
Q: What would make IP relay
more accessible to us?
Mark Stern: GoAmerica's
i711.com gives more options for call processing, such as storing phone
numbers.
Mike Baer: Wireless lag time
is an issue.
Bill McClellan: The next big
jump in technology is to get rid of communication assistants and have a
system that takes care of translating from voice to text and text to
voice.
~~~~~
Q: I can't use my BlackBerry
for IP Relay due to problems with support to connect with the service.
How can we encourage this?
Eric Emmons: Sorenson has
technical support. You can send an e-mail to get help.
Anne Girard: Hamilton offers
IP relay through BlackBerry and is the only provider that works well
with BlackBerry.
Mike Baer: Sprint has heard a
lot of complaints and will be working to become more compatible.
Bill McClellan: Services to
BlackBerry, Ogo, Pocket PC, Sidekick and Treo are all coming.
~~~~~
Q: Some IP Relay services
will work through IM, but I still hear complaints about interoperability
with other instant messaging services. What's the latest?
Bill McClellan: IM is offered
by AOL, Yahoo, and MSN. None of them works the same. There are a few
programs out there to create interoperability. Some companies have been
very open and some have not. It often takes more legal work than
development work to accomplish a solution.
~~~~~
Q: We know it's possible to
integrate voice and text and video. When will it happen that we can
choose from among them?
Bill McClellan: Technically
it is possible today, but there are so many different systems and
protocols that it's complex. Research is being done on an individual
device being customized for them. With SIP (Session-Initiated Protocol),
the device on the other end is customized so the two devices know how to
talk to each other. When will we see it? The best guess is 7 years.
~~~~~
Q: I'm concerned about IP
Relay scams. What can be done to prevent them?
Mike Baer: Sprint's position
is that the communications assistant shouldn't have to judge the call;
as a result they do not support any kind of regulation. People who are
doing the scams will adapt to find new ways to continue to do so. The
person who picks up the phone should be the one who decides how to act.
Anne Girard: Hamilton has set
up technology to try to identify calls coming from addresses in
countries other than the US. They have that information on a platform so
it can block the call before it reaches a communications assistant.
Hamilton also educates business and the hearing community about scams.
Bill McClellan: MCI tried
blocking all international calls, but it didn't stop the scams. The
people doing the scams were able to access US computers and take over
the system to make calls. MCI actively monitors IP traffic and looks for
suspicious patterns.
~~~~~
Some miscellaneous comments:
Mike Baer: There will be some
exciting changes in the next five years. You won't need a telephone at
all. CapTel will be available inside a small port. Instead of
phone-to-phone you will be seeing person-to-person calling.
Mark Stern: We're moving
beyond relay to features that work within the location.
Bill McClellan: The
technology we now have is a direct result of cost recovery via the
Interstate TRS Fund. Continued support from the FCC through this cost
recovery is crucial for continued innovation.
***************
(c)2005 by Northern Virginia Resource Center for Deaf and Hard of
Hearing Persons (NVRC), www.nvrc.org. When sharing this information,
please ensure credit is given to NVRC.
