FCC Adopts Special Phone Numbers 211, 511. and 711 + Other Services on Cable TV For Handicapped July 21, 2000 by KALPANA SRINIVASAN, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal regulators set aside new three-digit telephone numbers Friday: 511 for local traffic information and 211 for referrals to nonprofit groups serving the needy. They also ordered phone companies to adopt a code to reach special operators who help the deaf make calls. Under the Federal Communications Commission's plan, modeled after the 911 emergency number, drivers may someday be able to call one easy-to-remember number to find out about congestion or roadwork in whatever city they're passing through. Families needing shelter, food or crisis counseling could find assistance through a single number. It will be up to local governments and charities to work out how to implement, and pay for, the new numbers, so they won't be available immediately. The commission also mandated that telecommunication carriers implement a 711 code to contact operators that relay messages between those with speech or hearing disabilities and other callers. As part of its efforts to extend communications services to the disabled, the agency also mandated that broadcasters and cable companies provide some voice narration of the action in TV shows in their biggest markets. "We've tried to address every aspect of the virtual world and make it accessible," FCC Chairman William Kennard said in an interview. In the TV plan, broadcasters affiliated with NBC, ABC, Fox and CBS in their top 25 markets would have to provide about four hours per week of described prime time and/or children's programming. Cable operators and satellite companies with more than 50,000 subscribers would have to provide the same amount of time for each of the top five national non-broadcast channels they carry. The requirements take effect beginning April 2002. The commission will later consider whether to expand the mandate to more markets. While the measure received majority approval, two commissioners challenged whether the agency had the statutory authority to impose the obligations on broadcasters and others. The FCC also ordered that details of local emergency information contained in newscasts be made available to those who are sight impaired. In the service, descriptions of events are squeezed into the natural pauses already in the program. For example, television audiences would be told that a character is running down the street or hugging a friend. Typically, this would be done using a separate audio track that audiences could switch on or off. All sets made since 1993 can receive this secondary soundtrack channel. The National Association of Broadcasters has said that it would cost stations more than $160,000 to implement the plan and the cable industry believes the market could address the issue. "There is no consensus on this matter even within the affected interest community," said David Beckwith of the National Cable Television Association. "We think this is an area best left to industry efforts, not government regulation." The commission also is expected to set standards to ensure that closed captioning for the deaf is available to people using digital TVs. The 711 code will consolidate dozens of toll-free numbers now in use and provide hearing people who want to call a deaf person a single number they can easily associate with the service - like 411 for information or 911 for emergency. Bell Atlantic, now part of Verizon Communications, already has rolled out 711 service throughout most of its 13-state Northeast region. The company tracked its results in Maryland and found "a dramatic increase in the number of hearing users who were dialing through relay just because it was easier," said Richard Ellis, director of strategic alliances for Verizon. The relay service center received 18 percent more voice-initiated calls and 10 percent more total calls over a seven-month period.