New Policies for Pay Telephone Relay Services Take Effect in the South

Strategic Insights -

Policies governing the use of pay telephone relay services for speech- and hearing-impaired individuals in the South will become effective on November 24, 1995. These relay services, which connect callers using text telephone devices to the public switched telephone network, have been in operation seven days a week, 24 hours a day. The new policies were requested by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and developed in consultation with relay service providers, organizations for the deaf and hard-of-hearing, and local and long distance telephone service providers.

Key Takeaways:

  • Local calls from pay telephones through a relay service will be free of charge, as long as the call is made within the same local area.
  • Long distance calls from a pay telephone using a relay service can be charged to a calling card, which can be used at coin telephones as well as any other telephone.
  • BellSouth Calling Cards are available to customers free of charge, and can be obtained by contacting the relevant phone numbers for different regions: 557-6254 for Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee; 780-2274 for Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina; 557-6500 for customers in Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee; and 780-2800 for customers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
  • The new policies are the result of a collaborative effort between the FCC, relay service providers, organizations for the deaf and hard-of-hearing, and local and long distance telephone service providers.
  • The policies aim to improve accessibility and convenience for speech- and hearing-impaired individuals in the South.

Statistics:

  • The relay services are in operation 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.
  • Local calls from pay telephones through a relay service will be free of charge.
  • Long distance calls from a pay telephone using a relay service will cost the same as a long distance calling card call that does not use a relay service.
  • BellSouth Calling Cards are available to customers free of charge.

Sources:

  • "New Policies for Pay Telephone Relay Services Take Effect in the South". PRNewswire, November 22, 1995.