Nigel Allen <Nigel.Allen@f438.n250.z1.fidonet.org> (04/29/91)
I found the following message, which appears to be a press release from the Georgia Relay Center, on the FidoNet ABLED echo. The press release does not indicate who operates the relay center, so I do not know whether Southern Bell or another telephone company is running the service. (Perhaps it is being run under contract to the telephone companies by an outside organization, such as one that provides services to the deaf and hearing-impaired as well.) Thanks to Tzipporah Benavraham of 1:278/632.0 for posting it originally. 04/23 1213 GEORGIA RELAY CENTER REPORTS FEW PROBLEMS WITH NEW ... NORCROSS, GA (APRIL 23) - The new Georgia Relay Center that enables deaf, hearing-impaired and speech-impaired Georgians to hold telephone conversations with people who can hear has handled more than 8,000 calls since its April 1 opening. While the vast majority of callers have successfully reached the center, a few customers have encountered problems because they did not include the digits "1-800" when dialing the center's toll-free 800 numbers. Deaf, hearing-impaired or speech-impaired customers using Telecommunications Devices for the Deaf or "TDDs" reach the center by dialing 1-800-255-0056. Hearing callers using a regular telephone call 1-800-255-0135. Regardless of where in the state callers are located, they must dial the entire eleven digit toll-free TDD or hearing number to reach the center. The Georgia Relay Center operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. During a relay call, a communications assistant serves as a link between a hearing caller and a caller using a TDD. The assistant speaks to the hearing caller and types the conversation to the TDD user. The center only relays calls made between locations within the state of Georgia. Conversations relayed by the center are held in strict confidence. All calls made using the center are billed at AT&T or local telephone company rates, with a 25 percent discount applied to regular long-distance prices. There is no additional charge for the center's relay service. The Georgia Relay Center was established by the Georgia Public Service Commission. CONTACT: Dan Coulter, 404-810-7373 (office) or 404-995-3889 (after hours), or Bill Blair, 404-810-7241 (office) or 404-664-3623 (after hours).
"Peter L. Thomas" <pthomas@arecibo.aero.org> (05/01/91)
In article <telecom11.320.8@eecs.nwu.edu>, Nigel.Allen@f438.n250.z1. fidonet.org (Nigel Allen) writes... > The press release does not indicate who operates the relay center, so > I do not know whether Southern Bell or another telephone company is > running the service. (Perhaps it is being run under contract to the This service is fairly new, and I know very little about aside from the surcharge for it which appears on every Southern Bell customer's bill. This leads me to think that Southern Bell is at least subsidizing the service, if it is not running it directly. Pete
John R Hall <jhall@ihlpm.att.com> (05/01/91)
AT&T is the service provider for the Dual Party Relay in Georgia as is the case in Alabama, California, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Montana, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Virginia.
Arnold Robbins <arnold%audiofax.com@mathcs.emory.edu> (05/01/91)
In article <telecom11.320.8@eecs.nwu.edu> Nigel.Allen@f438.n250.z1. fidonet.org (Nigel Allen) writes: > The press release does not indicate who operates the relay center, so > I do not know whether Southern Bell or another telephone company is > running the service. Southern Bell runs it. I posted an article here with a copy of the announcement as it came in my phone bill a few months back. > The Georgia Relay Center was established by the Georgia Public > Service Commission. It is paid for by *all* Georgia customers of Southern Bell; there is a monthly surcharge of several cents. You'd have to check my original article for the exact rate. Arnold Robbins AudioFAX, Inc. Powers Ferry Road, Suite 200 / Marietta, GA. 30067 INTERNET: arnold@audiofax.com Phone: +1 404 618 4281 UUCP: emory!audfax!arnold Fax-box: +1 404 618 4581