Technology and Telephone Relay Service

Abstract

This article explains many of the issues surrounding the relatively new world of telephone relay service (TRS) and describes technologies that should be tested for improving TRS and reducing costs. TRS is an operator-assisted interface between text terminals and voice terminals, so that text telephones used by people who are deaf, hard of hearing, and speech impaired can attain access to the vast voice telephone network. Technologies for relaying conversations, automating call processing, and reducing call volumes are reviewed.