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April 1999
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April 1999
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Maryland Starts 7-1-1 Telephone ServiceFirst State in Continental United States to Offer Easier Dialing for Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing and Speech-Disabled
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND -- Beginning February 1, 1999, Maryland residents can simply dial 7-1-1 to communicate with deaf, hard of hearing or speech disabled people who use text telephones, also known as TTY devices. Through the combined efforts of Maryland Relay and Bell Atlantic, Maryland is the first state in the continental U.S. to implement 7-1-1 service.
With 7-1-1 service, customers are able to dial only three digits to send text messages over regular phone lines using Maryland Relay, a statewide telecommunications relay service.
"Every day thousands of people across Maryland rely on Maryland Relay," said Parris N. Glendening, governor of the State of Maryland. "There are nearly half-a-million Marylanders who are deaf, hard-of-hearing or speech disabled that can now simply dial these three easy digits, 7-1-1, to communicate with anyone, anytime by telephone."
Bell Atlantic is providing this new, three-digit dialing service at no cost to the State of Maryland. In addition, the company has pledged to implement a regionwide 7-1-1 service as soon as possible and has initiated discussions with regulators in a number of states in its mid-Atlantic and Northeast service area on how to implement it.
Calls to Maryland Relay are first answered by operators. These operators connect a person using a TTY who cannot hear or speak clearly over the phone with a phone user who can hear. Similarly, phone users who can hear rely on the relay service to call friends, relatives, business associates and others who communicate with a TTY.
A Maryland Relay operator relays the conversation between the two. The relay operator is trained to help conversations flow accurately and with ease, and all calls are handled with the strictest confidentiality. There is no limit on the number of times someone can use the service, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
"Maryland has one of the most successful relay systems in the country," stated Gilbert Becker, director of Maryland Relay. "By making it easier to use and more accessible for everyone, our relay system will expand its customer base and ultimately increase the number of callers using the service.
The current Maryland Relay number, (800) 735-2258, in addition to 7-1-1, will continue to be available for calls within Maryland. However, all callers to Maryland Relay from outside the state must use the toll-free number.
"Bell Atlantic is delighted to partner with the State of Maryland and Maryland Relay to roll out 7-1-1 service,' said Sherry F. Bellamy, president and CEO of Belt Atlantic - Maryland. "We have the innovation and technology to provide the service, and we have proven in Maryland that, by working together, we can provide this service quickly to benefit all customers."
Maryland Relay is a public service administered by the Maryland Department of Budget and Management/Telecommunications Access of Maryland as a result of the American with Disabilities Act of 1990. The relay may be accessed from any phone, and there are no set-up fees or costs per local call. On average, Maryland Relay processes over 200,000 calls per months, largely to businesses. For more information about Maryland Relay, contact the organization's website at www.mdrelay.org.
Bell Atlantic is at the forefront of the new communications and information industry. With more than 42 million telephone access lines and eight million wireless customers worldwide, Bell Atlantic companies are premier providers of advanced wireline voice and data services, and market Leaders in wireless services. Bell Atlantic companies are also among the world's largest investors in high-growth global communications markets with operations and investments in 23 countries.
INTERNET USERS: Belt Atlantic news releases, executive speeches, news media contacts and other useful information are available at Bell Atlantic's News Center on the World Wide Web (www.ba.com). To receive news releases by email, visit the News Center and register for personalized automatic delivery of Bell Atlantic news releases.
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