Deaf World as Eye See It

Just recently, I got this video-mail from Sorenson Video Relay Service, pleading us for help.

Sorenson VRS wants us to let FCC know not to cut down the rates which may significantly impact the quality of their VRS services.

Initially, I am impressed how Sorenson made an effort to create this 3 to 4-min video clip and made LOTS of calls to videophones across the America hoping to get their support.

Then, the more I thought about it… and I am presenting a big challenge for Sorenson.

SHOW ME THE MONEY!

Sorenson VRS, I challenge you, to present us your HARD DATA with numbers (money received from FCC and how this money been spent) with all of us to review and show us how this rate actually affect you in the future, affecting the quality of your VRS service.

Sorenson VRS, I know that you are ‘under’ the umbrella of the SORENSON companies…

See link: Sorenson Companies

1. The Sorenson Group – Real Estate Companies
2. Data Chem Laboratories, Inc.
3. Sorenson Genomics
4. SorenCo Laboratories
5. Sorenson Media
6. Rosecrest
7. Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation
8. Sorenson Medical
9. Sorenson BioScience, Inc.
10. Sorenson Development Incorporated
11. Sorenson Mold
12. Relative Genetics

and, don’t forget that James LeVoy Sorenson and James Lee Sorenson donated over 5 million dollars to Gallaudet, to help to build Sorenson Language and Communication Center.

I know that Sorenson Companies helped to financially support the special firmware development for the videophone that you got from the DLink company. I know that you poured millions of dollars to mass produce special videophones to ‘give away’ to Deaf people, with understanding that we must subscribe to high speed internet connection to access your video relay services.

REVISED STATEMENT..

On July 2002 through June 2003, FCC raised the rate of $17.044 dollas per minute, to help to accelerate the growth of the need of VRS services. Do you remember that during DeafWay 2002, there was a HUGE exhibition booth set up by CSD? Sprint/CSD were the first to provide trials and introduced the first VRS model at Deaf Way II in 2002. That was when CSD skyrocketed, but… Sorenson got into the market for Video Relay services in January 2003. Sorenson partnered with DLink in 2002, to create their firmware, and mass produced the videophones. So, Sorenson, as clever as always, beat CSD by the low brow punch, by providing FREEBIES (Videophones) to Deaf people, and comes with easy to remember, phone numbers programmed in their firmware, plus they also added the program to prevent Deaf people to use their VP to call other VRS companies. Sorenson grabbed the huge market share by 80 percent, and causing CSD’s downfall.

Then, in July 2003, the rate went down to $7.751 dollars per minute, then slowly going down to $6.644 dollars per minute this year.

FCC created the rate to provide SERVICE (video relay services) to the deaf people according to the ADA law, and these rates are not for creating products or spending so much money on research and development. Sooo…

I think its time for us to start purchasing products that is best for us, instead of depending on Sorenson providing VP 200s, when VP 100s starts to break down, which is happening right now.

REVISED STATEMENT END HERE

I know that the first few years, you have prevented your videophones to make calls to another VRS companies, until the FCC created the mandate, called the videophone interoperability feature.

Now, you reaped over 70 percent of the videophones across the America, and you got the major share of the FCC money. No doubt about that.

Kudos for your ingenious business practices, and you certainly created the massive market of video relay services.

Now, we haven’t seen the HARD DATA from you explaining how this possible rate reduction will affect the quality of SVRS.

SHOW US… SHOW US…

It’s hard to believe since you are making so much money, and spending so much money with outreach services, training, equipment, donations, and so forth.

Yet…. you want to convince me? As Cuba Gooding, Jr. would say, “SHOW ME THE MONEY!”

Sorenson, I challenge you!