Lujan Urges FCC to Raise VRS Rates by July 31

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel should act quickly to raise video relay service rates before July 31, said Senate Communications Subcommittee Chairman Ben Ray Lujan, D-New Mexico, in a letter Wednesday. “I urge the FCC to adopt updated rates this month, and in doing so, account for inflation since the last rate setting,” Lujan said. “Providers cannot afford another year, let alone another quarter, of stagnant reimbursement levels despite rising costs.” VRS providers have face record high inflation and the FCC hasn’t set new rates since 2017, the letter said. The “frozen rates” left VRS providers “struggling” to raise rates for their interpreters and limited their ability to improve their technology to keep pace with advancements in E911 and videoconferencing, Lujan said. “There are roughly 3000 deaf and hard-of-hearing people in New Mexico, and approximately 10 million across the United States,” said the letter. “These Americans deserve the same access to these lifeline services as everyone else.” The FCC received and is reviewing the letter, an agency spokesperson told us.