Government announcement. The National Relay Service (NRS) is moving from the current provider, ACE, to a new provider, Concentrix.
For the second phase of the transition, the Video Relay call option will move to the new provider at 7am (AEDT) on 20 November 2019.
Video Relay over Skype allows Auslan users to sign their side of the conversation, while the relay officer signs the response of the other person back to the user. This NRS call option suits people who want to make a call using Auslan to someone who speaks English and uses an ordinary telephone.
What do I need to do? If you are a Video Relay user, you will need to save the new Video Relay Skype contact called ‘NRS VIDEO RELAY SERVICE’ to your Skype Contacts.
From 20 November 2019, the current Video Relay Skype contact called ‘NRS VIDEO RELAY’ will no longer work and should be removed from your Skype Contacts. Find out more by reading the step-by-step instruction sheet: Preparing to Make Video Relay calls on Accesshub.
What’s new? The process for making a Video Relay call has been streamlined. You now have the option of starting a call with a quick click, replacing the need to type manual commands such as “!call”. Find out more by reading the Video Relay fact sheet and instructions sheets on Accesshub.
At the start of every NRS call, all parties will receive a message advising that the call may be monitored for quality purposes. This will help the NRS continue to improve the service.
What’s coming soon? New Auslan instruction videos are currently in production and will be released on Accesshub shortly.
The launch of Video Relay on the new NRS app will take place in the coming months.
The remaining NRS options will be transitioned progressively. The next phase will occur on 25 November when NRS Chat (previously known as Internet Relay) will be launched on the web page and on the new NRS app.
Where do I go for help? Read our fact sheets and instruction sheets on Accesshub or contact the NRS Helpdesk for more information or assistance. If you experience any issues using the NRS, the Helpdesk is also there to assist.
The Helpdesk is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm (AEST, excluding national public holidays). You can also leave a message outside these hours and a Helpdesk staff member will get back to you.
There are a number of ways to make contact with Helpdesk staff:
Phone: 1800 555 660
TTY: 1800 555 630
Fax: 1800 555 690
SMS: 0416 001 350
Email: helpdesk@relayservice.com.au