Commerce intends to enter into an agreement with Hamilton Relay for up to thirty-six (36) months. This agreement will cover the public switched telephone network (PSTN) captioned telephone service (CapTel), a type of telecommunications relay service. This service will be available to Minnesota residents and used by persons with hearing loss who have some residual hearing. CapTel involves the use of a captioned telephone, which is connected to a telephone line. The captioned telephone has a built-in screen, which displays real-time text captions of the other party’s side of the conversation. The CapTel user, on one line, can speak to the non-CapTel user and listen to the non-CapTel user while reading captions of what the non-CapTel user is saying. A specially trained communications assistant revoices the information conveyed by the non-CapTel user and an automated speech recognition technology automatically transcribes the communications assistant’s voice into captions displayed on the CapTel user’s captioned telephone. CapTel is the only captioned telephone relay service available for residents with hearing loss who do not have internet service. Commerce currently provides this service and, if the service is no longer provided, hundreds of Minnesotans with hearing loss will no longer be able to place and receive captioned telephone calls.
