Telecom provider Sorenson Communications from Utah has agreed to comply with the penalties imposed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). This is the result of an incident that took place in June 2016. Back then Sorenson users lost access to video relay service (VRS) for two days. This is a specialized video service for people with hearing and speech impairments, which performs the functions of 911: people with disabilities use it to report an emergency using sign language.
As it turned out, the reason for the problem was the fact that the company simply forgot to renew the domain that was used for the VRS service. Sorenson Communications managed to remedy the situation quite quickly; nevertheless, for two days people with hearing and speech impairments couldn’t report emergency situations, which created a serious potential threat. The fine imposed by the FCC on the provider, however, wasn't too big - $252 thousand, reports Domain Incite. However, another $2.7 million at the insistence of the FCC the company will pay to the Telecommunications Relay Service Fund, which ensures funding and support of VRS service on the territory of United States. Therefore, two-day delay in renewing the domain registration cost the company almost $3 million.
