FCC Axes Archaic ASCII Rule for Better Phone Accessibility
Published Date: 8/27/2025
Proposed Rule
Summary
The FCC is updating the rules for Telecommunications Relay Services by removing the old requirement that TTY devices must work with ASCII format. This change affects people who use TTY-based relay services, cuts costs, and gets rid of outdated rules. The update makes the system simpler and more in line with how people actually use these services today.
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Remove TTY ASCII Format Requirement
If you use traditional TTY-based relay services, the FCC proposes to delete the rule that those services must communicate using ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange). Deleting this requirement would reduce Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) costs, remove an outdated regulatory rule, and align the rules with how TTY services are used today.
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Key Dates
Department and Agencies
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