So FCC came out with their new rates. According to NAD the new rates are

Tier 1: $6.24

Tier 2: $6.23

Tier 3: $5.07

This is a lot more reasonable than what what NECA recommended. Either FCC does not take NECA recommendations seriously or the scare tactic campaign by various VRS providers was very effective.

What do I think of the new rates?

Well as I said they are not as drastic as what NECA was advocating but I still think there are a lot of problems with not only the current rates but the way the service is paid for.

I don't have a problem with paying for VRS by the minute but when that payment includes the cost of providing and maintaining VRS equipment a whole slew of problems arise. Here are some of the problems with including VP equipment in the per minute rates.

1) VRS companies that don't provide and have no intention of providing VRS equipment benefit from the extra payments since they incure the extra charges that come with providing this equipment.

2) Providing equipment has very little relation the the costs of providing VRS per minute. Just because a customer uses the phone 5 hours a day doesnt mean that he will incure a cost to the equipment provider that is substainsally greater than one that uses his phone only 5 hours a month.

3) This practice is the main reason that many of us have 5 Videophones and we only use one. This is forcing NECA to essentialy pay for several phones per deaf person instead of the one that is necessary. NECA is probably paying for millions of dollars worth of Videophones that are never being used.

4)Deaf and HoH people do not pay for any hardware. This only serves to reinforce the image of the that we are moochers of society. I understand that it is not reasonable to make us pay hundreds of dollars per videophone but what if we were asked to pay similar prices to a basic phone that the hearing use? I would be happy to pay for that.



Later I will tell you what I think are viable solutions to these problems are.