(1) “Administrator” means a corporation not for profit incorporated pursuant to the provisions of chapter 617 and designated by the Florida Public Service Commission to administer the telecommunications relay service system and the distribution of specialized telecommunications devices pursuant to the provisions of this act and rules and regulations established by the commission.
(2) “Commission” means the Florida Public Service Commission.
(3) “Deaf” means having a permanent hearing impairment and being unable to discriminate speech sounds in verbal communication, with or without the assistance of amplification devices.
(4) “Dual sensory impaired” means having both a permanent hearing impairment and a permanent visual impairment and includes deaf/blindness.
(5) “Hard of hearing” means having a permanent hearing impairment which is severe enough to necessitate the use of amplification devices to discriminate speech sounds in verbal communication.
(6) “Hearing impaired” or “having a hearing impairment” means deaf or hard of hearing and, for purposes of this part, includes being dual sensory impaired.
(7) “Local exchange telecommunications company” means a telecommunications company certificated by the commission to provide telecommunications services within a specific geographic area.
(8) “Operating fund” means the fund established, invested, managed, and maintained by the administrator for the exclusive purpose of implementing and administering the provisions of this act pursuant to commission rules and regulations.
(9) “Ring signaling device” means a mechanism, such as a flashing light, which visually indicates that a communication is being received through a telephone line. This term also means a mechanism such as an adjustable volume ringer and buzzer which audibly and loudly indicates an incoming telephone communication.
(10) “Speech impaired” or “having a speech impairment” means having a permanent loss of verbal communication ability which prohibits normal usage of a standard telephone handset.
(11) “Specialized telecommunications device” means a TDD, a volume control handset, a ring signaling device, or any other customer premises telecommunications equipment specifically designed or used to provide basic access to telecommunications services for a hearing impaired, speech impaired, or dual sensory impaired person.
(12) “Surcharge” means an additional charge which is to be paid by local exchange telecommunications company subscribers pursuant to the cost recovery mechanism established under s. 427.704(4) in order to implement the system described herein.
(13) “Telecommunications company” includes every corporation, partnership, and person and their lessees, trustees, or receivers appointed by any court whatsoever, and every political subdivision of the state, offering two-way telecommunications service to the public for hire within this state by the use of a telecommunications facility. The term “telecommunications company” does not include an entity which provides a telecommunications facility exclusively to a certificated telecommunications company, or a specialized mobile radio service operator, a private radio carrier, a radio common carrier, a cellular radio telecommunications carrier, or a cable television company providing cable service as defined in 47 U.S.C. s. 522.
(14) “Telecommunications device for the deaf” or “TDD” means a mechanism which is connected to a standard telephone line, operated by means of a keyboard, and used to transmit or receive signals through telephone lines.
(15) “Telecommunications facility” includes real estate, easements, apparatus, property, and routes used and operated to provide two-way telecommunications service to the public for hire within this state.
(16) “Telecommunications relay service” means any telecommunications transmission service that allows a person who is hearing impaired or speech impaired to communicate by wire or radio in a manner that is functionally equivalent to the ability of a person who is not hearing impaired or speech impaired. Such term includes any service that enables two-way communication between a person who uses a telecommunications device or other nonvoice terminal device and a person who does not use such a device.
(17) “Volume control handset” means a telephone which has an adjustable control for increasing the volume of the sound being produced by the telephone receiving unit or by the telephone transmitting unit.
History.—s. 1, ch. 91-111.