Before the
                Federal Communications Commission
                      Washington, D.C. 20554

                                )
In the Matter of                )
                                )
Telecommunications Relay Services,)          CC Docket No. 90-571
and the Americans with Disabilities Act)
of 1990                         )       
                                )

                             ORDER 
   Adopted:  August 7, 1998             Released:  August 10, 1998

By the Deputy Chief, Common Carrier Bureau:

     1.   On August 21, 1997, the Common Carrier Bureau ("Bureau") suspended enforcement
of the Federal Communications Commission's (the "Commission") rule requiring 
telecommunications relay services ("TRS") to be capable of handling coin sent-paid calls by August
26, 1997.  The Bureau's one year suspension of enforcement will expire on August 26, 1998.  In this
Order, the Bureau further suspends the coin sent-paid requirement for one additional year until
August 26, 1999.  

     2.   Under the Commission's rules, TRS must be capable of handling any type of call
normally provided by common carriers, including coin sent-paid calls.  The coin sent-paid
requirement was initially due to go into effect on July 26, 1993.  Prior to the effective date,
however, and subsequently, the Bureau concluded that providing TRS coin sent-paid service was
technically infeasible and suspended enforcement of that requirement.  In conjunction with the
suspension of the coin sent-paid requirement, the Bureau adopted an Alternative Plan in August
1995.  The Alternative Plan requires common carriers and TRS providers to provide: (1) free local
TRS payphone calls; (2) use of calling or prepaid cards with rates equivalent to or less than those
that would apply to a similar non-TRS call made using coin sent-paid service; and (3) programs to
educate TRS users about alternative payment methods and to make calling or prepaid cards available
to TRS users.  The Alternative Plan was modified by the 1997 Suspension Order.  The modified
Alternative Plan includes the requirement that carriers improve efforts to educate the TRS users
about how they can reach relay service centers from payphones using either calling or prepaid cards
at rates that are equivalent to or less than the coin call rates.  

     3.   Upon review of the record in this proceeding, the Bureau concluded in the 1997
Suspension Order that provision of coin sent-paid services through TRS centers was still not
technically feasible and that no technological solution appeared imminent.  Therefore, the Bureau
stated that it intended to recommend that the Commission conduct a rulemaking to examine the issue
of whether there should be a modification to the Commission's requirement that TRS be capable of
handling all calls, including coin sent-paid calls.  Because additional time will be needed to
conduct any such rulemaking, a suspension of the enforcement of the coin sent-paid rule for one
year, until August 26, 1999, is appropriate.  During the one year suspension of the enforcement of
the coin sent-paid requirement, the Bureau directs carriers and TRS providers to continue to make
payphones accessible to TRS users under the terms of the Alternative Plan as modified and set forth
in the 1997 Suspension Order.  

     4.   Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED, pursuant to the authority contained in 47 C.F.R. 
0.91(a), 0.204, 0.291 and 1.3, that enforcement of the requirement that Telecommunications Relay
Services must be capable of handling coin sent-paid calls, as required by 47 C.F.R.  64.604(a)(3),
IS SUSPENDED until August 26, 1999.  This Order is effective upon release.      


     5.   IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that common carriers providing telephone voice
transmission services, and TRS providers, shall continue to make payphones accessible to TRS users
pursuant to the terms of the Alternative Plan set forth in the 1997 Suspension Order.
     

                         FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION




                         Lawrence E. Strickling        
                         Deputy Chief
                         Common Carrier Bureau