Telecommunication Relay Services

The vendor is required to provide telecommunication relay service (TRS) provides residents of state who are deaf, hard of hearing, late-deafened, deaf-blind or who have speech disabilities to have full access to telecommunications services in a manner that is functionally equivalent to that enjoyed by people who can hear and speak2.
- Types of calls to be handled
1. General
•    Accept calls that originate from or terminate to telecommunications device for the deaf (TTYs or TDDs), personal computers (pcs), captioned telephone equipment, or similar equipment used to facilitate telecommunications service for persons with communication disabilities.
•    The context of speech-to-speech relay service, the center is to accept calls which do not originate or terminate to TTYS, TDDS, and pcs or similar equipment.
•    The center must be capable of using any telephone common carrier’s network, as specified by the center customer, to complete interstate toll calls, intrastate toll and local calls
•    The current 711 and 800 number shall be retained. 
•    The event the commission should require certain numbers to be used for TRS, flexibility should be provided to accommodate this requirement. 
•    Toll-free numbers must be universally available and must be uniform throughout state and the north american dialing plan.
•    Provide TTY or TDD directory assistance (da) for its customers.
•    Provide for TTY or TDD directory assistance at the center or specify how requests for such calls will be handled.
•    Provide speech-to-speech services for its customers.
•    Speech-to-speech customers must also be given the option to maintain at the center a list of names and telephone numbers, which the speech-to-speech user frequently calls.
2. Intrastate calling
•    Individuals with communications disabilities subscribing to state intrastate services must be able to call or be called by any business or residence that has standard telephone service is state. 
•    The center must be capable of accepting calls placed across a state line, which, if the center were not utilized, would be considered local intrastate calls. 
•    The center shall be capable of terminating calls to toll-free numbers that are intraLATA in nature, including free NXXS used by the LECs and intraLATA 800 numbers.
3. Interstate calling
•    The center is required to provide interstate calling.
•    The center must comply with commission separations rules and procedures, if applicable.
•    The center must handle Spanish language calls 24-hours a day on an interstate basis.
4. Voice and hearing carry-over (VCO)
•    The center must accept calls to or from a voice-capable caller who is hearing-disabled that permit this caller to speak his or her own message directly to a call recipient who is hearing-capable without such
•    Transmission being processed by the ca.
•    The center must accept calls to or from a hearing-capable caller who is speech-disabled that permit
•    This caller to hear the communication directly from the call recipient without such transmission being processed by the ca.
5. Emergency calls
•    The center must accept emergency calls and must use a system for incoming emergency calls that automatically and immediately provides the nearest and appropriate public safety answering point (PSAP) with the caller’s telephone number and the caller’s location.
•    The caller’s telephone number to the PSAP if and when the caller disconnects before being connected to emergency services.
•    The bidder should fully describe the procedure by which emergency calls received by the center will be handled. 
•    This should include the manner in which the bidder would switch or immediately refer such calls to the appropriate emergency service agency. 
•    The system provides emergency services and the process for handling emergency services.
6. Recorded messages
•    Must relay calls to numbers delivering recorded messages (e.g., voice mail, prerecorded messages, or other information services) and the ca must alert the user to the presence of a recorded message through a “hot key” on the ca’s terminal.
•    Must relay recorded messages from and leave recorded messages on telephone answering machines at the request of the center customer.
•    Record the recorded messages, to be retained for the length of the call-in order to more accurately and quickly relay the recorded message to the caller.
7. Operator handled calls must meet the requirements
•    Able to relay operator-handled alternately billed calls such as calling card, collect, and bill-to-third number.
•    Able to relay calls such as busy-line verify, busy-line interrupt, hotel and motel bill to room number, and hard to reach.
•    Capable of using any common carrier’s network as specified by the center customer, to complete alternately billed calls.
8. Special calling services must meet the requirements
•    Provide its users with conferences and three-way calling and other custom calling features as they become available. 
•    Charges assessed to such center customers must not exceed the charges assessed by the local exchange carrier (LEC) serving the exchange from which the call is being placed.
•    Charges for ancillary services not traditionally provided by LECs (e.g., store and forward services) must not exceed the rates assessed to those persons without communication disabilities.
9. Coin sent-paid calls must meet the requirements
•    Capable of handling coin sent-paid calls in accordance with commission order.
10. 900 or other pay-per-call services
•    Capable of handling calls to 900, 976, or 900-like services or other pay-per-call services.
- Call rating and billing requirements
1. Local call rating
•    Customers, whether they are the calling or called party, are not to be charged for calls originating and terminating within the same toll-free local calling area despite the fact that these calls may be routed through a relay center located outside the toll-free area.
2. Intrastate long distance call rating per the requirements
•    Must be capable of handling intrastate toll calls placed with the caller’s choice of carrier and calling card.
•    Calls must be rated as if the calls were placed directly between the originating and terminating call points instead of routed through the center.
•    Billing purposes, the timing of a center call will begin immediately upon pickup at the called number. 
•    If a caller requests a person-to-person toll call, the timing will begin only after the requested party has answered the call.
3. Billing arrangements per the requirements
•    Provider shall bill the appropriate party for charges for collect calls, person-to-person calls, and calls to or from hotel rooms and pay telephones, and calls charged to a third party. 
•    Provider shall also arrange for billing to any industry standard or alternative LEC calling card. 
•    Calls billed by or on behalf of the provider, the bidder shall include a complete description of how users will be billed for all calls. 
•    This description shall include the bidder’s procedures for obtaining billing information from the LEC and alternative LEC, whether the billing will be performed directly by the provider itself or contracted specific credit cards or telephone calling cards to which calls can be billed, and a sample bill format. 
•    Also explain how it will respond to customers’ inquiries about erroneous bills and how credits will be issued or refunds made. 
•    Must not bill a customer for placing a call through the relay center.
•    Service provider may bill for special calling services authorized by the commission and the corporation.

- Contract Period/Term: 2 years
- Questions/Inquires Deadline: November 14, 2025