What is Internet-Based TRS?
TRS permits persons with a hearing or a speech disability to access the telephone system to call voice telephone users. For example, a TRS user “calls” a relay provider through a text-based device (for example, a text telephone or TTY) and is connected to a communications assistant (CA) who, in turn, makes a voice telephone call to the person the TRS user wishes to call. The CA then speaks to the called party what the relay user has typed, and types back to the calling party what the called party says. In this way, the CA “relays” the call back and forth between the two parties. With Internet-based TRS, calls between the relay provider and the person with a hearing or speech disability are made via the Internet and an IP-enabled device, rather than the telephone network. The two most commonly-used forms of Internet-based TRS are VRS and IP Relay. A third type of Internet-based TRS, IP Captioned Telephone Service (IP CTS), is not subject to the new ten-digit numbering requirement. VRS –
