W. Va. Code R. § 150-21-11

Current through Register Vol. XLI, No. 50, December 13, 2024

Section 150-21-11 - Technical Standards

11.1. ASCII and BAUDOT --

Mandatory. The TRS must be capable of automatically identifying incoming TT signals as either Baudot or ASCII. The application should describe the methods of accessing and being accessed by computers and state any limitation as to speed.

11.2. Speed of Answer.

11.2.a. Mandatory. The application shall show plans to develop staffing patterns as related to call volumes and usage patterns.

11.2.b. Required.

11.2.b.1. No restrictions shall be placed on the length or number of calls placed by customers through the Relay Center. The system shall be designed and staffed to handle traffic during peak and off-peak periods.

11.2.b.2. Blockage Rate: Average daily blockage rate for all calls into the Relay Center shall be no greater than one (1) in one hundred (100) calls. This shall be measured by sampling the number of calls being blocked at a minimum of every 30 minutes for each 24 hour period.

11.2.b.3. Traffic reports: The service provider shall provide the PSC Staff with the following written reports on a monthly basis. (More frequent or more detailed reports shall also be available on request.)

11.2.b.3.A. Reported by NPA, total daily and monthly

11.2.b.3.A.1. number of incoming calls

11.2.b.3.A.2. number of outgoing calls (including busy, no answer, disconnected)

11.2.b.3.A.3. number of completed calls

11.2.b.3.A.4. number of abandoned calls.

11.2.b.3.B. Daily monthly blockage data.

11.2.b.3.C. Average daily and monthly answer time; range of answer times for the month.

11.2.b.3.D. Average daily and monthly number of calls in queue (caller is receiving a ringing, waiting to be answered by a CA); average length of time in queue.

11.2.b.3.E. Average daily and monthly length of call, broken down into call set-up, call duration and call wrap-up.

11.2.b.3.F. Total daily and monthly number of calls of the following lengths:

0 - 10 minutes

11 - 20 minutes

21 - 30 minutes

31 - 40 minutes

41 - 50 minutes

51 - 60 minutes

61+ minutes

11.2.b.3.G. Usage patterns (number of calls and length of calls) by hour of day and day of week.

11.2.b.3.H. Number of CAs on duty by hour of day and day of week.

11.2.b.3.I. Number of local, intrastate toll, and interstate calls and completed call minutes for the month.

11.2.b.3.J. All of the above shall be reported to the PSC Staff no later than 21 calendar days after the close of each month.

11.2.c. For the purposes of improving the productivity of the relay service, automatic electronic production of the above information is recommended.

11.2.d. The applicant will submit the reporting format that will be used to provide all of the data listed above.

11.2.e. The applicant must include information on its capability to provide ad hoc reports including new information in the system's database or new formats for existing information.

11.2.f. On an annual basis, the service provider must provide forecasted usage figures and costs to the PSC Staff for the upcoming year for use in annual program budgets.

11.2.g. Any data not specified above required by regulatory bodies.

11.3. Equal Access To Interexchange Carriers.

11.3.a. Mandatory. The application must state and justify any limitation to be placed on access to interexchange carriers.

11.3.b. Required. The applicant shall provide details of the dialing plan, including number of dialed digits utilized by users of the service. Details must be provided thatoutline whether more than one access number will be used and explain why more than one access number will be required.

11.4. TRS facilities.

11.4.a. Mandatory -

11.4.a.1. Applicants must provide a network design diagram and accompanying explanation indicating how the TRS provider will satisfy the operational and technical standards. The application should include the quantities and types of inbound and outbound circuits necessary to complete the projected number of calls within each jurisdiction.

11.4.a.2. The applicant shall explain the type of equipment and software necessary to meet the service standards and handle the types of calls and projected call volumes. Applicants must state how calls from TT users to voice users will be handled differently from calls from voice users to TT users, if there are differences.

11.4.a.3. Applications must outline plans to ensure that no calls are dropped because of a processor failure. Applicants must explain the built-in redundancies needed to maintain required levels of service in the event of preventive maintenance, a power outage, or other causes that would shut down the processor.

11.4.b. Required. The application shall include the location(s) of the Relay Center. Regardless of the location(s) selected, the TRS should be accessible by telephone on a toll-free basis.

11.4.b.1. If a Relay Center is not located in West Virginia, the application shall demonstrate how the provider will respond specifically to the deaf, hard of hearing and speech impaired communities in West Virginia, as if the provider were located in West Virginia. The description shall include the applicant's method for reporting West Virginia specific quality of service information, required in paragraph B of this Section, among the multiple states served by a regional center. The applicant shall include a copy of the contract documents already governing the operation of the TRS at the proposed location.

11.4.b.2. The transmission circuits shall meet or exceed FCC interexchange performance standards for circuit loss, noise, and crosstalk.

11.4.b.3. A back-up power system must be able to provide emergency power in the event of commercial power outage for a minimum of eight continuous hours. The back-up power system must support the switch system and its peripherals, switch room environmentals, air conditioning, fire suppression system, emergency lights and system alarms, operator consoles/terminals, operator work site emergency lights, and Call Detail Record recording.

11.4.b.4. The back-up power system shall be automatically switched to carry the Relay Center's power needs, as listed above, whenever a commercial power outage of more than very short duration occurs. The back-up power system shall be tested at least monthly. At least quarterly, the relay center shall simulate a commercial power outage of sufficient duration to cause automatic switchover to back-up power.

11.4.b.5. The switching system shall include a redundant CPU on "hot stand-by" and an inventory of spare critical components (to be outlined in the application) maintained on site to ensure that required levels of service are met.

11.4.b.6. The TRS shall have an automatic alarm system on-line and in operation at all times that will immediately alert appropriate personnel of any significant problem with, or failure of, any system critical to satisfactory TRS operation. Appropriate personnel shall immediately respond to alarms with appropriate remedial activity.

11.4.b.7. The applicant will also show the capability of expanding services in response to increasing demand. Applicant shall develop and illustrate in its application a detailed plan of how this expansion will be accomplished. The plan shall include, but not be limited to, trunking capacity, operator work stations, personnel staffing and equipment capacity. The plan shall also indicate the time lag required to meet any increase in call volume. The above plans shall be able to maintain all standards required by the Commission. Furthermore, the service delivery procedures shall permit the most cost-effective use of available resources.

11.5. Technology - Mandatory

11.5.a. The applicant shall demonstrate its capability to adapt to improvements in communications equipment technology and to implement state of the art technology for provision of relay service.

11.5.b. The user communities and the PSC should be allowed to benefit from advancing technology. Applicant will describe the methodology and process it will use to keep abreast of technological changes in the provision of relay service, to inform the PSC that new enhancements area available and at what cost.

W. Va. Code R. § 150-21-11