The Commonwealth Department of Communications, responsible for the NRS, has responded to questions asked about the future of CapTel and other matters relating to the NRS under new contract arrangements with a company called Concentrix.
You can read and download these answers in the documenmt, NRS transition Q&A 6July2019.
What is clear is that the CapTel service will be cut in early 2020.
Deafness Forum of Australia, Deafblind Australia, Deaf Australia (the group that represents people who communicate in Auslan) and Australian Communications Consumer Advocacy Network met this month with officers of the Department of Communications, the department that is responsible for the National Relay Service.
The Department representatives made it very clear that the axing of CapTel was not negotiable. Deafness Forum argued that the notice period was far too short and would have a profound effect on the 4,000 users of CapTel, many of whom are aged and vulnerable citizens. We strongly recommended that the Department negotiate a 5 year transitioning period with the company that owns the licence in Australia to sell CapTel units. The department said it wasn’t able to make a deal with the company but wouldn’t explain why due to commercial confidentiality.
Where does this leave CapTel users? We must take our case to the politicians. The decision-maker is the Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts, Paul Fletcher MP. His contact details are below his photo on this page: https://www.minister.communications.gov.au/…/Paul-Fletcher#