The FCC Granted AT&T a Reprieve So It Can Support Wi-Fi Calling for Deaf Users

AT&T got its required waiver from the FCC for its Wi-Fi calling plans, where two of its competitors didn't. The FCC temporarily granted the company a waiver from teletypewriter (TTY) support so that AT&T could develop a protocol for deaf users to relay messages over Wi-Fi and IP connections. It would be an improvement over existing technology that's unreliable at best over internet connections and would give users the ability to "speak" words as soon as they type, similar to what you see on closed-captioned news.

AT&T's recent spat with T-Mobile and Sprint was over the two companies' failures to secure waivers for excluding required TTY support, and going along with marketing their Wi-Fi calling plans anyway.

TTY is an accessibility requirement, and its removal or lack thereof is akin to removing ramps for wheelchair users or elevators for people on crutches—it makes life about twice as hard for people whose lives are generally hard enough. For some people, it's the only option they have if they live in a signal congested or weak area. AT&T isn't done with it yet, but they did call out the FCC for not even initiating investigations into the companies for flaunting the waiver rule.

"Instead of initiating enforcement action against them, or at least opening an investigation, the agency has effectively invited them to now apply for similar waivers and implied that their prior flaunting of FCC rules will be ignored," Jim Cicconi, AT&T's VP of external affairs said.