FCC Seeks Input on New Technologies Used by Consumers for Video Relay Services

The Federal Communications Commission is asking for information about the new and off-the-shelf technologies that can be used to access Video Relay Service (VRS), such as Skype, Apple Facetime, etc.

The FCC wants input on the following:

• What specific features or functions of off-the-shelf equipment, services, and software are needed to effectively use VRS?
• What broadband speeds and frames-per-second transmission rates are necessary for acceptable video quality?
• What lux level ratings are required for a camera to produce acceptable images in low light settings?
• What other features must a camera have (e.g., pan, zoom, tilt)? How much jitter (lateral and angular) is tolerable?
• To what extent are consumers currently using off-the-shelf video communication software and/or platforms in connection with VRS?
• How often do consumers use these technologies (e.g., Skype, Apple FaceTime) as compared to equipment and software issued by VRS providers for point-to-point communications?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of the off-the-shelf technologies compared to technologies provided by VRS providers? For example, are there specific functionalities ­ for either VRS or point-to-point communications ­ that these technologies offer that are not available on devices issued by providers? What are the current limitations of such technologies (e.g., with respect to interoperability, numbering, emergency services) and to what extent do such limitations impede their use by persons who rely on VRS?
• Do such off-the-shelf technologies comply with the FCC’s current rules? If they do not comply, in what ways do they not comply?
• Should the FCC’s rules be modified in any way to provide more flexibility to VRS users to utilize off-the-shelf equipment, and if so, how?