About Relay Texas

What is Relay Texas?

Relay Texas provides telephone interpreting service between people who can hear and those who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind or speech-disabled. Relay Texas agents have equipment that enables them to hear the voice user as well as read the signals from the text telephone (TTY) user.

This service is available for Texans 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. There are no restrictions imposed on Relay Texas calls. Texas and United States laws assure confidentiality for relay users and operators.

How does it work?

Either a TTY user or a person using a standard phone may initiate a call through Relay Texas by dialing the relay number 711. After dialing Relay Texas, the person initiating the call gives the desired phone number to the Relay Texas Agent, who then dials that number using another phone line. The Relay Agent types the standard phone user's spoken words to the person using the TTY and voices the TTY user's text.

Funding

Universal Service Fund

The Texas Universal Service Fund is the funding source for Relay Texas, the Specialized Telecommunications Assistance Program (STAP), as well as other programs.

The Public Utility Commission (PUC) is the administrator of the Texas Universal Service Fund. Presently, the PUC contracts with the National Exchange Carrier Association (NECA) to administer the fund. All telecommunication companies doing business in Texas pay into the Universal Service Fund, depending on their retail revenues.

Sprint, who has the contract to provide relay service in Texas, submits a monthly invoice to the PUC outlining their costs for providing the service. Once the PUC approves the invoice, it is sent to National Exchange Carrier Association who pays Sprint out of the Texas Universal Service Fund.

In addition, the PUC and the Texas Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing also submit invoices to the Texas Universal Service Fund for their administrative costs for the STAP. The National Exchange Carrier Association reimburses STAP vendors for vouchers. These costs are also paid for by the telecommunications companies.

The law allows these companies to recover their funds paid into the Texas Universal Service Fund for these programs. These charges show up on your phone bill as a "Universal Service Fund" or "Texas Universal Service Fund" charge. The cost of the STAP and Relay Texas represents less than 5 percent of the entire USF. For more information on the Texas Universal Service Fund, visit the following link:

Texas Universal Service Fund

Last Updated: 02/19/04