Colorado utilities regulators on Wednesday September 5th, 2001 introduced a three-digit number for speech and hearing-impaired people to dial for the Relay Colorado Service. Users can dial 711 instead of a 10-digit, toll-free number to access the free Relay service that transcribes spoken words into printouts or vice versa for phone calls with the speech- or hearing-impaired. The Federal Communications Commission had mandated that the three-digit number be implemented in each state's relay system by Oct. 1, 2001. Sprint has contracted to provide the free service, which is supported by a 10-cent monthly charge on everyone's phone bill. About 58,000 relay calls are placed each month in Colorado.
The Denver Post Thursday, September 6, 2001
