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Media Contact: 
Will Wiquist, (202) 418-0509
will.wiquist@fcc.gov
For Immediate Release
FCC SETTLES INVESTIGATION OF RELAY SERVICE PROVIDERS
Agreement Addresses Violations that Lead to Waste, Fraud, and Abuse of the Fund
That Supports Services for Consumers with Hearing and Speech Disabilities
  --
WASHINGTON, February 15, 2017 – The Federal Communications Commission today
announced a $9.1 million settlement with two companies which provide telecommunications 
services to consumers with hearing and speech disabilities. In addition to a monetary penalty for 
improper billing, the settlement with telecommunications relay service (TRS) providers Purple 
Communications and CSDVRS repays the TRS Fund and establishes a 5-year compliance plan to 
ensure that services going forward incorporate the required checks.
The TRS Fund reimburses telephone carriers and other providers for providing relay services to 
consumers with hearing and speech disabilities. To ensure that TRS is used for its intended 
purpose and that providers are only compensated for service provided to eligible individuals, for 
some forms of TRS, providers must verify the registration information of TRS users before 
issuing those users the ten-digit numbers necessary to use the service. The Commission 
established a clear legal standard for this verification in a 2008 order.
In December 2015, the Commission fined Purple for failing to properly verify customers and for 
submitting improper bills for reimbursement from the TRS Fund. The settlement resolves that 
proceeding, as well as additional investigations and pending matters against the companies. 
Today’s action by the Commission approves a settlement that resolves all pending enforcement 
matters involving Purple and CSDVRS.
The Commission’s adoption of this settlement reflects FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s recently 
announced process change that any settlement (formally called a “Consent Decree”) stemming 
from a Commission action will be voted on by the Commission.
Action by the Commission February 13, 2017 by Order (FCC 17-10). Chairman Pai, 
Commissioners Clyburn and O’Rielly approving. Commissioner O’Rielly issuing a separate 
statement.
A copy of today’s Consent Decree is available at 
https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-17-10A1.pdf
A copy of the 2015 Forfeiture Order is available at http://go.usa.gov/ckQwp
A copy of the 2014 Notice of Apparent Liability is available at http://go.usa.gov/ck8gS
A consumer guide on the Telephone Relay Service is available at http://go.usa.gov/ckkXX
###
Office of Media Relations: (202) 418-0500
TTY: (888) 835-5322
Twitter: @FCC
www.fcc.gov/office-media-relations
This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action.  Release of the full text of a Commission order 
constitutes official action.  See MCI v. FCC, 515 F.2d 385 (D.C. Cir. 1974).