The telecommunications giant T-Mobile will take care of the state telecommunications relay service again, at least for the next three years.

Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) selected T-Mobile USA for a new contract that renews the company’s responsibility as a relay service provider. T-Mobile is the current relay service provider for the state of Florida, but that current contract expires at the end of February.

“The Florida Relay Service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and facilitates telephone conversations between people who are hearing impaired or speech impaired and others through the use of special equipment and a communication support operator to to convey information. A monthly landline surcharge of $0.08 funds the distribution of specialized telecommunications devices and intrastate relay service,” a PSC press release said.

The contract renewal, which extends for another three years, was not a given for T-Mobile, according to PSC officials. The commission issued a request for proposals in July to seek bids for a potential contract for relay service in Florida. But there was only one referral other than T-Mobile to handle the service. The offer came from Hamilton Relay Inc.

But PSC officials said T-Mobile’s track record impressed the Commission enough that the company’s contract was renewed. Hamilton’s proposal has been noted for its value and may be considered more effective in some ways.

“While Hamilton’s technical score was slightly higher than T-Mobile’s in the proposal evaluation, T-Mobile’s relay service price is considerably lower than Hamilton’s price. Given that both technical proposals are impressive and meet the Commission’s RFP service standards, T-Mobile’s lower price makes its proposal a better overall choice for Florida consumers and for Florida Telecommunications Relay, Inc., the non- profit that administers the statewide relay service,” the press release said.

PSC members approved the $3.3 million annual budget for the Florida Telecommunications Relay Service in July.

But even then, the PSC acknowledged that the use of the relay system may not always be as popular as it is today.

“During this budget period, FRS usage is expected to decline by 25% as traditional telecom users switch to advanced technology services,” July press release said.

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