Big Bend Telephone Company Proudly Announces Implementation of 7-1-1.
Every day, approximately 1.8 million deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind or speech-disabled Texans and their hearing friends and family rely on the interpretive services provided by the Telecommunications Relay System, Relay Texas.

On October 10, 2000*, Big Bend Telephone Company officially implemented the use of 7-1-1 as an easier means to access Relay Texas. The implementation of 7- 1 -1 will supplement access to the Texas Relay System and will NOT replace or change the existing 800 access numbers for voice or TTY users.

How does 7-1-1 work? By dialing 7-1-1, both hearing and deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind or speech-impaired users can initiate a Relay Texas call. Specially trained operators of the Relay Texas System answer the calls to the Relay Center and relay the conversation between the two parties by using equipment that enables them to hear the voice user and read the signals from the TTY (text telephone) user. All calls are handled with strict confidentiality.

Relay Texas service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with no restrictions on the number of calls placed or the length of the calls. Relay Texas users can communicate to anywhere in the United States. There is no charge for Relay calls made within your local calling scope.

To learn more about Relay Texas, contact the Relay Texas office at 1-800-676-3777 or the Public Utility Commission of Texas at 512-936-7136 (TTY) or 1-800-782-8477 (v); relavtx@pub.state.tx.us; http://www.puc.state.tx.us/relay/index.cfm.

*Texas statewide deployment of 7-1-1 is expected by May 2001. Nationwide deployment of 7-1-1 as ordered by the FCC will be available by October 2001.