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ERS VRS Updates in the UK and Irish Republic.

Thursday, August 6th, 2009. 

When I first launched ETT International, it was always my intention to provide a Video Relay Services as part of European Relay Services and had the appropriate software developed for this purpose.     Unfortunately, until this time, the costs involved in actually running a standalone VRS service would make the service too expensive for clients to afford without the benefit of any additional government subsidies, even with my other businesses providing financial support.

Since the launch of my businesses, as a Deaf CEO of ERS & ETT International, I have reguarly been in contact with both Ofcom in the UK and ComReg in Ireland who are the regulatory authorities who deal with communication services, including those for people with with differing needs, and indeed have met with some of them.    I have campaigned tirelessly to attempt to raise awareness of the needs and requirements of Deaf and Hard of Hearing people including the provision of Video Relay Services.   I have lobbied UK MPs and Irish Ministers for their support and am now moving to make contact with the relevant department of the European Commission.

Video Relay Services are falling by the wayside because of a lack of funding.   The Typetalk service is currently funded only by BT but, in these days of financial difficulties and the influx of new telecommunication providers, one wonders how long BT will be willing to shoulder the majority of this cost.    If BT was not legally required to provide fund such a service, then I doubt this is something that they would choose to do, given the effects on their profit margins in running a non-profit service.   For this reason, I disagree that private companies should have to fund services without receiving subsidies to fund the costs of operators.   It is the same problem for VRS.    VRS is a very expensive business to run primarily because of the high interpreting costs.    However, here at ETT International, I have solutions and I am still looking into providing a national video relay service, possibly with Ireland as the first country in the European Union to have a service funded by a private company such as ours.   The call costs will be funded by a top-up scheme and the interpreting costs will be reduced.  I hope to expand the service in the United Kingdom once we review the Irish operation as a smaller country and at low risk and cost to us.  Our main aim is that we provide the highest quality service while providing the best customer care.  In order to achieve that aim, we need to make sure that our strategy is working before launching the service in a bigger country such as the United Kingdom.

In the meantime, in conjunction with our ERS Interpreting Service, we are now looking into launching a Video Relay Service on a top-up ‘per minute’ basis to work alongside.   This would help to protect us from interpreting costs.  By utilising Interpreters from our other business, ERS Interpreting Services, this would mean that hearing people could contact BSL users via webcam through our national premium-rated phone line.

We will continue to work with the EU Commission in order to provide funding for VRS services.    The EU announced their plan to force mobile companies to scrap roaming charges across the EU to help improve communication so why can't they introduce legislation do the same for Deaf and Hard of Hearing people by introducing a scheme, like that in America, which would fund not only VRS costs but help all European Citizens to receive services such as broadband and phone lines in hard-to-reach areas etc.  

Anything is possible through a sensible legal process via the European Communities Commission and we will keep you posted on our efforts.   In the meantime, we would appreciate your reply to this post giving your response on whether you would be willing to pay around 20p/20c or 25p/25c per minute to use a video relay service in the UK.  If you consider that hearing mobile users can pay that and a great deal more for a ‘per minute’ mobile call, in my view perhaps this is a way to help ISL and BSL users to be considered equally.   Your thoughts on this issue are going to be very interesting. 

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