A major transition this summer may leave thousands of Americans without service, and it has nothing to do with digital TV. Starting July 1, deaf consumers using Internet-based telecom relay will no longer be reachable through the proxy numbers they've used for years. But despite education efforts, many TRS users still don't realize they need to register a local 10-digit phone number, said executives of relay companies and consumer groups we polled. "There are a lot of consumers who are still confused and experiencing problems getting a telephone number," and they're facing new problems once they do have one, said CEO Sheri Farinha of the NorCal Center, a consumer group. TRS providers have a "short window of time" to register relay users, said Mike Maddix, regulatory affairs manager of Sorenson, the largest U.S. provider of relay service. Finishing the job will be a "monumental task" requiring "multipronged" outreach by providers, the FCC and others, he said. nnAcquiring a 10-digit number allows a relay user to make and receive calls like a hearing user, a step toward meeting the Americans with Disabilities Act's functional-equivalency requirement. Using real numbers also allows users to make 911 calls based on their geographic location. But many TRS customers are confused about the 10-digit transition, officials said. Even with education efforts by relay service providers, the FCC, NeuStar and consumer groups, "a good number" of TRS users remain unaware of the change, said Claude Stout, executive director of Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, a consumer group. Many TRS users don't understand why they need to register, Maddix said. Finding customers can be another problem, he added. Deaf people move more often than others, and relay providers are often left with old addresses, he said. To minimize transition problems, Farinha called for "serious consumer education," including mass media using video and text and in-person workshops.
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