Telecommunications Relay Service ASCII Format Requirement
Built by the Tribune's code from the Federal Register. No AI wrote this page. Published in the Federal Register Sept. 10, 2026. Document 2026-18478. Updated Nov. 6, 2026.
- What it does
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) amends its rules to eliminate the requirement that Text Telephone (TTY)-based Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) be capable of communicating in the American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) format. By removing this outdated regulatory mandate, the Commission relieves TRS providers of the obligation to maintain costly and obsolete ASCII-compatible hardware and software systems. Eliminating this requirement will reduce inefficiencies, preserve the integrity of the TRS Fund, and allow providers to redirect resources toward modern relay technologies, all without adversely impacting functional equivalence for consumers who rely on TTY-based TRS.
The Federal Communications Commission's summary, as published in the Federal Register.
- What changed in the regulation
1 part of Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations:
Wording on eCFR: the day before it took effect and from the day it took effect (first part listed).
- Compared with
The Federal Communications Commission has published 57 final rules in 2026 so far, compared with 78 in all of 2025.
Counted by the Tribune from Federal Register records since Jan. 1, 2025.
- What happens next and when
Effective October 13, 2026.
The agency's dates, word for word.
- Check it yourself
The record as published
| Document number | 2026-18478 |
|---|---|
| Action | Final rule. |
| Agencies | Federal Communications Commission |
| Published | Sept. 10, 2026 |
| Effective date | Oct. 13, 2026 |
Source: the Federal Register (public domain). The document in the Federal Register