Drew Dixon
Telecommunications giant T-Mobile will be handling the state’s telecommunications relay service again, at least for the next three years.
The Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) selected T-Mobile USA for a new contract renewing the company’s responsibility as the relay service provider. T-Mobile is the current relay service provider for the state of Florida, but that current contract elapses at the end of February.
“Florida’s relay service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and facilitates telephone calls between people with hearing loss or speech disabilities and other individuals by using special equipment and a communications assistance operator to relay information. A monthly surcharge of $.08 per landline funds the distribution of specialized telecommunications devices and intrastate relay service,” a PSC news release said.
The renewal of the contract that runs for three additional years was not a given for T-Mobile, according to PSC officials. The Commission did put out a request for proposals in July seeking bids for a potential contract for the relay service in Florida. But there was only one submission other than T-Mobile to handle the service. That bid came from Hamilton Relay Inc.
But PSC officials said T-Mobile’s track record impressed the Commission enough that the contract was renewed with the company. Hamilton’s proposal was noted for its value and may have been considered more efficient from some perspectives.
“While Hamilton’s technical score was slightly higher than T-Mobile’s when evaluating the proposals, T-Mobile’s relay service price is considerably lower than Hamilton’s price. Given that both technical proposals are impressive and responsive to the Commission’s RFP service standards, T-Mobile’s lower price makes its proposal a better overall choice for Florida consumers and for Florida Telecommunications Relay, Inc., the non-profit that administers statewide relay service,” the news release said.
PSC members approved the $3.3 million annual budget for the Florida Telecommunications Relay Service in July.
But even then, the PSC acknowledged that use of the relay system may not always be as popular as it currently is.
“During this budget period, FRS usage is projected to decline by 25 percent as traditional telecommunications relay users transition to advanced technology services,” a news release in July said.
