{"id":"AIBD-0824","title":"The FCC certifies CaptionCall's fully automatic captions after its test lab measured fewer word errors than in captions made with human assistants","summary":"In the FCC's National Test Lab, CaptionCall's automatic captions had median error rates of 2.9 to 14.5 across five scenarios. Human-assisted providers had 8.9 to 19.5 on average.","date_observed":"2021-08-31","date_basis":"source publication","date_precision":"day","benefit_status":"intended","source_collection":null,"source_entry":null,"account":"CaptionCall captions phone calls for people with hearing loss. Its communications assistants revoice the caller's speech into recognition software customized to their own voices and correct the captions. In November 2020, CaptionCall asked the FCC for approval to caption some calls with automatic speech recognition alone. At first it planned to use the automatic mode only when no assistant was free. The FCC's National Test Lab, run by MITRE, posted its test report on 19 April 2021. In repeated tests of five call scenarios, CaptionCall's automatic captions had median error rates of 2.9 to 14.5. Human-assisted providers had median rates of 8.9 to 19.5 on average. CaptionCall's median delays per word were 3.3 to 3.8 seconds, against 5.2 to 17.8 seconds. On 31 August 2021, the FCC granted conditional certification. CaptionCall expected that most calls would still go to assistants. The FCC does not name the vendor of the recognizer or show that it learns from data.","category":"aggregate result","unexpected":false,"purpose":"CaptionCall built its fully automatic mode to give people with hearing loss captions of their phone calls when no communications assistant is available.","system":"CaptionCall ASR-only (fully automatic) Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service (IP CTS)","model_version":null,"developer":"CaptionCall, LLC (with Sorenson Communications, LLC), on a speech recognition platform from an unnamed vendor","deployer":"CaptionCall, LLC","location":"United States","domain":"Telecommunications relay services / accessibility for people with hearing loss","segment":null,"benefit_type":"Improved Task Accuracy","work_activities":["4.A.3.b.6"],"taxonomy_note":"The automatic mode serves people with hearing loss, but the FCC reports only accuracy and delay in its lab.","registry_ids":{},"ratings":[{"group":"personal","depth":null,"reason":"The FCC approved the automatic mode on test results before it captioned users' calls, so no outcome for users is reported."}],"ai_role":{"status":"assessed","statement":"The National Test Lab measured the automatic captions against those of human-assisted providers on the same call scenarios, which isolates the platform's output. The assisted captions also start from speech recognition, which the assistants feed by revoicing. The vendor is unnamed, and the FCC does not show that the platform learns from data."},"evidence":[{"kind":"regulatory document","citation":"Federal Communications Commission, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau. Order, DA 21-1080, CG Docket No. 03-123 (conditional certification of CaptionCall, LLC to provide IP CTS on a fully automatic basis). Adopted and released 31 August 2021.","title":"Order, DA 21-1080 (CaptionCall, LLC)","url":"https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-21-1080A1.pdf","date":"2021-08-31","written_by":"independent","quote":"The National Test Lab’s own testing provides further evidence that, in terms of accuracy, CaptionCall’s ASR platform can outperform CA-assisted IP CTS. In repeated tests of five call scenarios, CaptionCall’s ASR platform achieved median Word Error Rates ranging from 2.9 to 14.5, while CA-assisted providers’ median Word Error Rates ranged from 8.9 to 19.5 on average."},{"kind":"regulatory document","citation":"Federal Communications Commission, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau. Order, DA 21-1080, CG Docket No. 03-123 (conditional certification of CaptionCall, LLC to provide IP CTS on a fully automatic basis). Adopted and released 31 August 2021.","title":"Order, DA 21-1080 (CaptionCall, LLC)","url":"https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-21-1080A1.pdf","date":"2021-08-31","written_by":"independent","quote":"CaptionCall’s median per-word caption delays for various call scenarios ranged from 3.3 to 3.8 seconds, while CA-assisted providers’ median caption delays were significantly longer, averaging from 5.2 to 17.8 seconds."}],"replication":{"produced_by":["CaptionCall chose its recognition platform after comparing leading vendors on accuracy and formatting.","Calls go to the automatic platform when no communications assistant is available."],"must_hold":["Vendors may not keep users' data or the text of captions.","The automatic captions must still meet the FCC's minimum standards once in use."],"echoes":[]},"paired_incident":null,"headline":"*CaptionCall*'s automatic captions beat assisted ones in FCC lab tests","metric":"median error rates of 2.9 to 14.5","comparator":{"against":"Median error rates of CA-assisted providers on the same five call scenarios","before":"8.9 to 19.5 on average","after":"2.9 to 14.5","basis":"measured","quote":"In repeated tests of five call scenarios, CaptionCall’s ASR platform achieved median Word Error Rates ranging from 2.9 to 14.5, while CA-assisted providers’ median Word Error Rates ranged from 8.9 to 19.5 on average.","url":"https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-21-1080A1.pdf"},"later":null,"value":null,"developer_country":"United States","deployer_country":"United States","unrated_because":"The FCC certified the automatic mode on lab tests before its funded use, so no outcome for callers is reported.","brief_notes":null,"brief":null,"revisions":[{"date":"2026-10-31","change":"Added the record from the finding of the FCC.","source":"https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-21-1080A1.pdf","editor":"AIBD"}],"confidence":"found","shade":"high","claim_status":"Found by a regulator","claim_basis":"Sources: one independent regulatory document. The cited evidence includes no independent study or report.","case_jurisdictions":["United States"],"profile":{"case_id":"AIBD-0824","catalog_version":"1.0.0","source_fingerprint":"686cdcbf301c08c5a9ae5f4a803843cd945e9aadad49adc27884942964eea416","collection_refs":[{"collection_id":"aibd","version":"2026-10-31"},{"collection_id":"querist","version":"2026-10-25"}],"source_ids":["AIBD-0824-source-0001","AIBD-0824-source-0002"],"families":{"strategic assessments":{"state":"unresolved","provenance":{"kind":"curatorial","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":[],"source_refs":[]},"reason":"Editorial assignment.","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial","record_ids":[]},"evaluations":{"state":"unresolved","provenance":{"kind":"curatorial","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":[],"source_refs":[]},"reason":"Editorial assignment.","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial","record_ids":[]},"monetary observations":{"state":"unresolved","provenance":{"kind":"curatorial","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":[],"source_refs":[]},"reason":"Editorial assignment.","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial","record_ids":[]},"institutional decisions":{"state":"unresolved","provenance":{"kind":"curatorial","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":[],"source_refs":[]},"reason":"Editorial assignment.","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial","record_ids":[]}},"fields":{"actors[]":{"state":"value_present","value":{"kind":"record_fields","fields":{"developer":"CaptionCall, LLC (with Sorenson Communications, LLC), on a speech recognition platform from an unnamed vendor","deployer":"CaptionCall, LLC"}},"provenance":{"kind":"legacy_record","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":["developer","deployer"],"source_refs":[]},"review_state":"record_mapped","coverage":"partial"},"actors[].ownership_control":{"state":"unresolved","provenance":{"kind":"curatorial","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":[],"source_refs":[]},"reason":"This is an explicit unresolved assignment: the sources on record do not settle this question.","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial"},"ai_contribution":{"state":"value_present","value":{"kind":"record_fields","fields":{"ai_role":{"status":"assessed","statement":"The National Test Lab measured the automatic captions against those of human-assisted providers on the same call scenarios, which isolates the platform's output. The assisted captions also start from speech recognition, which the assistants feed by revoicing. The vendor is unnamed, and the FCC does not show that the platform learns from data."}}},"provenance":{"kind":"legacy_record","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":["ai_role"],"source_refs":[]},"review_state":"record_mapped","coverage":"partial"},"ai_relationship":{"state":"value_present","value":{"kind":"record_fields","fields":{"category":"aggregate result","ai_role":{"status":"assessed","statement":"The National Test Lab measured the automatic captions against those of human-assisted providers on the same call scenarios, which isolates the platform's output. The assisted captions also start from speech recognition, which the assistants feed by revoicing. The vendor is unnamed, and the FCC does not show that the platform learns from data."}}},"provenance":{"kind":"legacy_record","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":["ai_role","category"],"source_refs":[]},"review_state":"record_mapped","coverage":"partial"},"assessments[].alternatives":{"state":"unresolved","provenance":{"kind":"curatorial","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":[],"source_refs":[]},"reason":"This is an explicit unresolved assignment: the sources on record do not settle this question.","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial"},"assessments[].assessor_date":{"state":"unresolved","provenance":{"kind":"curatorial","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":[],"source_refs":[]},"reason":"This is an explicit unresolved assignment: the sources on record do not settle this question.","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial"},"assessments[].depth":{"state":"unresolved","provenance":{"kind":"curatorial","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":[],"source_refs":[]},"reason":"This is an explicit unresolved assignment: the sources on record do not settle this question.","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial"},"assessments[].display_confidence":{"state":"value_present","value":{"kind":"structured","data":{"confidence":"high","evidence_word":"found","claim_status":"Found by a regulator","basis":"Sources: one independent regulatory document. The cited evidence includes no independent study or report.","interpretation":"Existing display rule preserved; the richer outcome-specific confidence question still needs review."}},"provenance":{"kind":"curatorial","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":[],"source_refs":[]},"review_state":"record_mapped","coverage":"partial"},"assessments[].rationale":{"state":"value_present","value":{"kind":"record_fields","fields":{"ratings":[{"group":"personal","reason":"The FCC approved the automatic mode on test results before it captioned users' calls, so no outcome for users is reported."}]}},"provenance":{"kind":"legacy_record","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":["ratings"],"source_refs":[]},"review_state":"record_mapped","coverage":"partial"},"assessments[].rubric_version":{"state":"unresolved","provenance":{"kind":"curatorial","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":[],"source_refs":[]},"reason":"This is an explicit unresolved assignment: the sources on record do not settle this question.","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial"},"assessments[].status_basis":{"state":"unresolved","provenance":{"kind":"curatorial","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":[],"source_refs":[]},"reason":"This is an explicit unresolved assignment: the sources on record do not settle this question.","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial"},"assessments[].target":{"state":"value_present","value":{"kind":"record_fields","fields":{"ratings":[{"group":"personal","reason":"The FCC approved the automatic mode on test results before it captioned users' calls, so no outcome for users is reported."}]}},"provenance":{"kind":"legacy_record","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":["ratings"],"source_refs":[]},"review_state":"record_mapped","coverage":"partial"},"availability":{"state":"unresolved","provenance":{"kind":"curatorial","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":[],"source_refs":[]},"reason":"This is an explicit unresolved assignment: the sources on record do not settle this question.","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial"},"brief":{"state":"unresolved","provenance":{"kind":"curatorial","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":[],"source_refs":[]},"reason":"This is an explicit unresolved assignment: the sources on record do not settle this question.","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial"},"case_kind":{"state":"unresolved","provenance":{"kind":"curatorial","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":[],"source_refs":[]},"reason":"This is an explicit unresolved assignment: the sources on record do not settle this question.","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial"},"case_links[]":{"state":"unresolved","provenance":{"kind":"curatorial","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":[],"source_refs":[]},"reason":"This is an explicit unresolved assignment: the sources on record do not settle this question.","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial"},"claims[].evidence_links":{"state":"unresolved","provenance":{"kind":"curatorial","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":[],"source_refs":[]},"reason":"This is an explicit unresolved assignment: the sources on record do not settle this question.","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial"},"claims[].evidence_strength":{"state":"value_present","value":{"kind":"structured","data":{"answer":"Found by a regulator. Sources: one independent regulatory document. The cited evidence includes no independent study or report.","evidence_word":"found","claim_status":"Found by a regulator"}},"provenance":{"kind":"source_review","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":["evidence"],"source_refs":["AIBD-0824-source-0001","AIBD-0824-source-0002"],"reviewed_on":"2026-10-29"},"review_state":"reviewed","coverage":"complete","display":{"answer":"Found by a regulator. Sources: one independent regulatory document. The cited evidence includes no independent study or report.","inferred":false}},"claims[].missingness":{"state":"unresolved","provenance":{"kind":"curatorial","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":[],"source_refs":[]},"reason":"This is an explicit unresolved assignment: the sources on record do not settle this question.","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial"},"claims[].proposition":{"state":"unresolved","provenance":{"kind":"curatorial","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":[],"source_refs":[]},"reason":"This is an explicit unresolved assignment: the sources on record do not settle this question.","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial"},"cross_border_flows[]":{"state":"unresolved","provenance":{"kind":"curatorial","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":[],"source_refs":[]},"reason":"This is an explicit unresolved assignment: the sources on record do not settle this question.","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial"},"decisions[].action_outcome":{"state":"unresolved","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial","family":"institutional decisions"},"decisions[].grounds":{"state":"unresolved","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial","family":"institutional decisions"},"decisions[].institution_task":{"state":"unresolved","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial","family":"institutional decisions"},"decisions[].success_criterion":{"state":"unresolved","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial","family":"institutional decisions"},"deployment_stage":{"state":"value_present","value":{"kind":"structured","data":{"classification":"laboratory test","answer":"The system was tested in a laboratory. The FCC's National Test Lab tested the platform on set call scenarios before its funded use.","scope":"The period and activity described in the case."}},"provenance":{"kind":"source_review","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":["account","evidence"],"source_refs":["AIBD-0824-source-0001"],"reviewed_on":"2026-10-29"},"review_state":"reviewed","coverage":"complete","display":{"answer":"The system was tested in a laboratory. The FCC's National Test Lab tested the platform on set call scenarios before its funded use.","inferred":false}},"economics[].amount":{"state":"unresolved","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial","family":"monetary observations"},"economics[].costs[]":{"state":"unresolved","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial","family":"monetary observations"},"economics[].counterfactual":{"state":"unresolved","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial","family":"monetary observations"},"economics[].currency_price_basis":{"state":"unresolved","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial","family":"monetary observations"},"economics[].gross_net":{"state":"unresolved","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial","family":"monetary observations"},"economics[].measure_type":{"state":"unresolved","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial","family":"monetary observations"},"economics[].period_unit":{"state":"unresolved","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial","family":"monetary observations"},"economics[].realization":{"state":"unresolved","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial","family":"monetary observations"},"economics[].recipient_payer":{"state":"unresolved","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial","family":"monetary observations"},"economics[].return_payback":{"state":"unresolved","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial","family":"monetary observations"},"economics[].valuation_method":{"state":"unresolved","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial","family":"monetary observations"},"evaluations[].ai_uplift":{"state":"unresolved","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial","family":"evaluations"},"evaluations[].comparator":{"state":"unresolved","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial","family":"evaluations"},"evaluations[].design":{"state":"unresolved","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial","family":"evaluations"},"evaluations[].effect":{"state":"unresolved","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial","family":"evaluations"},"evaluations[].exposure":{"state":"unresolved","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial","family":"evaluations"},"evaluations[].id":{"state":"unresolved","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial","family":"evaluations"},"evaluations[].measurement_method":{"state":"unresolved","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial","family":"evaluations"},"evaluations[].metric":{"state":"unresolved","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial","family":"evaluations"},"evaluations[].reproduction_materials":{"state":"unresolved","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial","family":"evaluations"},"evaluations[].setting_sample":{"state":"unresolved","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial","family":"evaluations"},"evaluations[].uncertainty_limitations":{"state":"unresolved","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial","family":"evaluations"},"external_references[]":{"state":"unresolved","provenance":{"kind":"curatorial","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":[],"source_refs":[]},"reason":"This is an explicit unresolved assignment: the sources on record do not settle this question.","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial"},"follow_up[]":{"state":"unresolved","provenance":{"kind":"curatorial","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":[],"source_refs":[]},"reason":"This is an explicit unresolved assignment: the sources on record do not settle this question.","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial"},"human_oversight":{"state":"unresolved","provenance":{"kind":"curatorial","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":[],"source_refs":[]},"reason":"This is an explicit unresolved assignment: the sources on record do not settle this question.","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial"},"id":{"state":"value_present","value":{"kind":"record_fields","fields":{"id":"AIBD-0824"}},"provenance":{"kind":"legacy_record","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":["id"],"source_refs":[]},"review_state":"record_mapped","coverage":"partial"},"infrastructure_dependencies[]":{"state":"unresolved","provenance":{"kind":"curatorial","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":[],"source_refs":[]},"reason":"This is an explicit unresolved assignment: the sources on record do not settle this question.","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial"},"outcomes[].beneficiaries":{"state":"unresolved","provenance":{"kind":"curatorial","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":[],"source_refs":[]},"reason":"This is an explicit unresolved assignment: the sources on record do not settle this question.","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial"},"outcomes[].beneficiary_count":{"state":"unresolved","provenance":{"kind":"curatorial","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":[],"source_refs":[]},"reason":"This is an explicit unresolved assignment: the sources on record do not settle this question.","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial"},"outcomes[].benefit_type":{"state":"value_present","value":{"kind":"record_fields","fields":{"benefit_type":"Improved Task Accuracy","taxonomy_note":"The automatic mode serves people with hearing loss, but the FCC reports only accuracy and delay in its lab."}},"provenance":{"kind":"legacy_record","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":["benefit_type","taxonomy_note"],"source_refs":[]},"review_state":"record_mapped","coverage":"partial"},"outcomes[].claim":{"state":"value_present","value":{"kind":"record_fields","fields":{"account":"CaptionCall captions phone calls for people with hearing loss. Its communications assistants revoice the caller's speech into recognition software customized to their own voices and correct the captions. In November 2020, CaptionCall asked the FCC for approval to caption some calls with automatic speech recognition alone. At first it planned to use the automatic mode only when no assistant was free. The FCC's National Test Lab, run by MITRE, posted its test report on 19 April 2021. In repeated tests of five call scenarios, CaptionCall's automatic captions had median error rates of 2.9 to 14.5. Human-assisted providers had median rates of 8.9 to 19.5 on average. CaptionCall's median delays per word were 3.3 to 3.8 seconds, against 5.2 to 17.8 seconds. On 31 August 2021, the FCC granted conditional certification. CaptionCall expected that most calls would still go to assistants. The FCC does not name the vendor of the recognizer or show that it learns from data.","benefit_type":"Improved Task Accuracy"}},"provenance":{"kind":"legacy_record","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":["account","benefit_type"],"source_refs":[]},"review_state":"record_mapped","coverage":"partial"},"outcomes[].distribution":{"state":"unresolved","provenance":{"kind":"curatorial","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":[],"source_refs":[]},"reason":"This is an explicit unresolved assignment: the sources on record do not settle this question.","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial"},"outcomes[].duration":{"state":"unresolved","provenance":{"kind":"curatorial","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":[],"source_refs":[]},"reason":"This is an explicit unresolved assignment: the sources on record do not settle this question.","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial"},"outcomes[].id":{"state":"unresolved","provenance":{"kind":"curatorial","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":[],"source_refs":[]},"reason":"This is an explicit unresolved assignment: the sources on record do not settle this question.","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial"},"outcomes[].stakeholder_group":{"state":"value_present","value":{"kind":"record_fields","fields":{"ratings":[{"group":"personal","reason":"The FCC approved the automatic mode on test results before it captioned users' calls, so no outcome for users is reported."}]}},"provenance":{"kind":"legacy_record","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":["ratings"],"source_refs":[]},"review_state":"record_mapped","coverage":"partial"},"outcomes[].status":{"state":"value_present","value":{"kind":"record_fields","fields":{"benefit_status":"intended"}},"provenance":{"kind":"legacy_record","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":["benefit_status"],"source_refs":[]},"review_state":"record_mapped","coverage":"partial"},"outcomes[].tradeoffs":{"state":"unresolved","provenance":{"kind":"curatorial","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":[],"source_refs":[]},"reason":"This is an explicit unresolved assignment: the sources on record do not settle this question.","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial"},"outcomes[].unexpected":{"state":"value_present","value":{"kind":"record_fields","fields":{"unexpected":false,"purpose":"CaptionCall built its fully automatic mode to give people with hearing loss captions of their phone calls when no communications assistant is available."}},"provenance":{"kind":"legacy_record","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":["unexpected","purpose"],"source_refs":[]},"review_state":"record_mapped","coverage":"partial"},"places[]":{"state":"value_present","value":{"kind":"record_fields","fields":{"location":"United States","developer_country":"United States","deployer_country":"United States"}},"provenance":{"kind":"legacy_record","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":["location","developer_country","deployer_country"],"source_refs":[]},"review_state":"record_mapped","coverage":"partial"},"purpose":{"state":"value_present","value":{"kind":"record_fields","fields":{"purpose":"CaptionCall built its fully automatic mode to give people with hearing loss captions of their phone calls when no communications assistant is available."}},"provenance":{"kind":"legacy_record","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":["purpose"],"source_refs":[]},"review_state":"record_mapped","coverage":"partial"},"record_dates":{"state":"value_present","value":{"kind":"record_fields","fields":{"date_observed":"2021-08-31","date_basis":"source publication","date_precision":"day","revisions":[{"date":"2026-10-31","change":"Added the record from the finding of the FCC.","source":"https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-21-1080A1.pdf","editor":"AIBD"}]}},"provenance":{"kind":"legacy_record","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":["date_observed","date_basis","date_precision","revisions"],"source_refs":[]},"review_state":"record_mapped","coverage":"partial"},"replication.attempts[]":{"state":"unresolved","provenance":{"kind":"curatorial","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":[],"source_refs":[]},"reason":"This is an explicit unresolved assignment: the sources on record do not settle this question.","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial"},"replication.conditions":{"state":"value_present","value":{"kind":"record_fields","fields":{"replication":{"produced_by":["CaptionCall chose its recognition platform after comparing leading vendors on accuracy and formatting.","Calls go to the automatic platform when no communications assistant is available."],"must_hold":["Vendors may not keep users' data or the text of captions.","The automatic captions must still meet the FCC's minimum standards once in use."],"echoes":[]}}},"provenance":{"kind":"legacy_record","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":["replication"],"source_refs":[]},"review_state":"record_mapped","coverage":"partial"},"revision_history[]":{"state":"value_present","value":{"kind":"record_fields","fields":{"revisions":[{"date":"2026-10-31","change":"Added the record from the finding of the FCC.","source":"https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-21-1080A1.pdf","editor":"AIBD"}]}},"provenance":{"kind":"legacy_record","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":["revisions"],"source_refs":[]},"review_state":"record_mapped","coverage":"partial"},"sector":{"state":"value_present","value":{"kind":"record_fields","fields":{"domain":"Telecommunications relay services / accessibility for people with hearing loss"}},"provenance":{"kind":"legacy_record","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":["domain"],"source_refs":[]},"review_state":"record_mapped","coverage":"partial"},"sources[].access_version":{"state":"unresolved","provenance":{"kind":"curatorial","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":[],"source_refs":[]},"reason":"This is an explicit unresolved assignment: the sources on record do not settle this question.","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial"},"sources[].citation_locator":{"state":"value_present","value":{"kind":"record_fields","fields":{"evidence":[{"kind":"regulatory document","citation":"Federal Communications Commission, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau. Order, DA 21-1080, CG Docket No. 03-123 (conditional certification of CaptionCall, LLC to provide IP CTS on a fully automatic basis). Adopted and released 31 August 2021.","title":"Order, DA 21-1080 (CaptionCall, LLC)","url":"https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-21-1080A1.pdf","date":"2021-08-31","written_by":"independent","quote":"The National Test Lab’s own testing provides further evidence that, in terms of accuracy, CaptionCall’s ASR platform can outperform CA-assisted IP CTS. In repeated tests of five call scenarios, CaptionCall’s ASR platform achieved median Word Error Rates ranging from 2.9 to 14.5, while CA-assisted providers’ median Word Error Rates ranged from 8.9 to 19.5 on average."},{"kind":"regulatory document","citation":"Federal Communications Commission, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau. Order, DA 21-1080, CG Docket No. 03-123 (conditional certification of CaptionCall, LLC to provide IP CTS on a fully automatic basis). Adopted and released 31 August 2021.","title":"Order, DA 21-1080 (CaptionCall, LLC)","url":"https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-21-1080A1.pdf","date":"2021-08-31","written_by":"independent","quote":"CaptionCall’s median per-word caption delays for various call scenarios ranged from 3.3 to 3.8 seconds, while CA-assisted providers’ median caption delays were significantly longer, averaging from 5.2 to 17.8 seconds."}]}},"provenance":{"kind":"legacy_record","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":["evidence"],"source_refs":[]},"review_state":"record_mapped","coverage":"partial"},"sources[].id":{"state":"value_present","value":{"kind":"identifiers","identifiers":["AIBD-0824-source-0001","AIBD-0824-source-0002"],"role":"Existing evidence items, in their original order"},"provenance":{"kind":"curatorial","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":[],"source_refs":[]},"review_state":"record_mapped","coverage":"complete"},"sources[].language":{"state":"unresolved","provenance":{"kind":"curatorial","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":[],"source_refs":[]},"reason":"This is an explicit unresolved assignment: the sources on record do not settle this question.","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial"},"sources[].relationship":{"state":"value_present","value":{"kind":"record_fields","fields":{"evidence":[{"kind":"regulatory document","citation":"Federal Communications Commission, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau. Order, DA 21-1080, CG Docket No. 03-123 (conditional certification of CaptionCall, LLC to provide IP CTS on a fully automatic basis). Adopted and released 31 August 2021.","title":"Order, DA 21-1080 (CaptionCall, LLC)","url":"https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-21-1080A1.pdf","date":"2021-08-31","written_by":"independent","quote":"The National Test Lab’s own testing provides further evidence that, in terms of accuracy, CaptionCall’s ASR platform can outperform CA-assisted IP CTS. In repeated tests of five call scenarios, CaptionCall’s ASR platform achieved median Word Error Rates ranging from 2.9 to 14.5, while CA-assisted providers’ median Word Error Rates ranged from 8.9 to 19.5 on average."},{"kind":"regulatory document","citation":"Federal Communications Commission, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau. Order, DA 21-1080, CG Docket No. 03-123 (conditional certification of CaptionCall, LLC to provide IP CTS on a fully automatic basis). Adopted and released 31 August 2021.","title":"Order, DA 21-1080 (CaptionCall, LLC)","url":"https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-21-1080A1.pdf","date":"2021-08-31","written_by":"independent","quote":"CaptionCall’s median per-word caption delays for various call scenarios ranged from 3.3 to 3.8 seconds, while CA-assisted providers’ median caption delays were significantly longer, averaging from 5.2 to 17.8 seconds."}]}},"provenance":{"kind":"legacy_record","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":["evidence"],"source_refs":[]},"review_state":"record_mapped","coverage":"partial"},"sources[].upstream_sources":{"state":"unresolved","provenance":{"kind":"curatorial","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":[],"source_refs":[]},"reason":"This is an explicit unresolved assignment: the sources on record do not settle this question.","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial"},"strategic_assessments[]":{"state":"unresolved","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial","family":"strategic assessments"},"summary":{"state":"value_present","value":{"kind":"record_fields","fields":{"summary":"In the FCC's National Test Lab, CaptionCall's automatic captions had median error rates of 2.9 to 14.5 across five scenarios. Human-assisted providers had 8.9 to 19.5 on average.","account":"CaptionCall captions phone calls for people with hearing loss. Its communications assistants revoice the caller's speech into recognition software customized to their own voices and correct the captions. In November 2020, CaptionCall asked the FCC for approval to caption some calls with automatic speech recognition alone. At first it planned to use the automatic mode only when no assistant was free. The FCC's National Test Lab, run by MITRE, posted its test report on 19 April 2021. In repeated tests of five call scenarios, CaptionCall's automatic captions had median error rates of 2.9 to 14.5. Human-assisted providers had median rates of 8.9 to 19.5 on average. CaptionCall's median delays per word were 3.3 to 3.8 seconds, against 5.2 to 17.8 seconds. On 31 August 2021, the FCC granted conditional certification. CaptionCall expected that most calls would still go to assistants. The FCC does not name the vendor of the recognizer or show that it learns from data."}},"provenance":{"kind":"legacy_record","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":["summary","account"],"source_refs":[]},"review_state":"record_mapped","coverage":"partial"},"systems[].autonomy_permissions":{"state":"unresolved","provenance":{"kind":"curatorial","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":[],"source_refs":[]},"reason":"This is an explicit unresolved assignment: the sources on record do not settle this question.","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial"},"systems[].component_role":{"state":"unresolved","provenance":{"kind":"curatorial","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":[],"source_refs":[]},"reason":"This is an explicit unresolved assignment: the sources on record do not settle this question.","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial"},"systems[].deployment_configuration":{"state":"unresolved","provenance":{"kind":"curatorial","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":[],"source_refs":[]},"reason":"This is an explicit unresolved assignment: the sources on record do not settle this question.","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial"},"systems[].inputs_outputs":{"state":"unresolved","provenance":{"kind":"curatorial","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":[],"source_refs":[]},"reason":"This is an explicit unresolved assignment: the sources on record do not settle this question.","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial"},"systems[].model_name":{"state":"unresolved","provenance":{"kind":"curatorial","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":[],"source_refs":[]},"reason":"This is an explicit unresolved assignment: the sources on record do not settle this question.","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial"},"systems[].model_version":{"state":"unresolved","provenance":{"kind":"curatorial","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":[],"source_refs":[]},"reason":"This is an explicit unresolved assignment: the sources on record do not settle this question.","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial"},"systems[].product_name":{"state":"value_present","value":{"kind":"record_fields","fields":{"system":"CaptionCall ASR-only (fully automatic) Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service (IP CTS)"}},"provenance":{"kind":"legacy_record","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":["system"],"source_refs":[]},"review_state":"record_mapped","coverage":"partial"},"systems[].provider":{"state":"unresolved","provenance":{"kind":"curatorial","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":[],"source_refs":[]},"reason":"This is an explicit unresolved assignment: the sources on record do not settle this question.","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial"},"taxonomy_crosswalks[]":{"state":"unresolved","provenance":{"kind":"curatorial","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":[],"source_refs":[]},"reason":"This is an explicit unresolved assignment: the sources on record do not settle this question.","review_state":"not_assessed","coverage":"partial"},"title":{"state":"value_present","value":{"kind":"record_fields","fields":{"title":"The FCC certifies CaptionCall's fully automatic captions after its test lab measured fewer word errors than in captions made with human assistants","headline":"*CaptionCall*'s automatic captions beat assisted ones in FCC lab tests"}},"provenance":{"kind":"legacy_record","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":["title","headline"],"source_refs":[]},"review_state":"record_mapped","coverage":"partial"},"version":{"state":"value_present","value":{"kind":"identifiers","identifiers":["ff19bc584dfa9786f85f4624cf97aaf629c7e89e7394d5b7370867d2a80105cb"],"role":"SHA-256 of the complete public record and its assessments"},"provenance":{"kind":"curatorial","basis":"SHA-256 of the public record, its assessments, and its displayed answers and notes, excluding its own identifier and the derived coverage summary.","record_fields":[],"source_refs":[]},"review_state":"record_mapped","coverage":"complete"},"workflow":{"state":"value_present","value":{"kind":"record_fields","fields":{"account":"CaptionCall captions phone calls for people with hearing loss. Its communications assistants revoice the caller's speech into recognition software customized to their own voices and correct the captions. In November 2020, CaptionCall asked the FCC for approval to caption some calls with automatic speech recognition alone. At first it planned to use the automatic mode only when no assistant was free. The FCC's National Test Lab, run by MITRE, posted its test report on 19 April 2021. In repeated tests of five call scenarios, CaptionCall's automatic captions had median error rates of 2.9 to 14.5. Human-assisted providers had median rates of 8.9 to 19.5 on average. CaptionCall's median delays per word were 3.3 to 3.8 seconds, against 5.2 to 17.8 seconds. On 31 August 2021, the FCC granted conditional certification. CaptionCall expected that most calls would still go to assistants. The FCC does not name the vendor of the recognizer or show that it learns from data.","replication":{"produced_by":["CaptionCall chose its recognition platform after comparing leading vendors on accuracy and formatting.","Calls go to the automatic platform when no communications assistant is available."],"must_hold":["Vendors may not keep users' data or the text of captions.","The automatic captions must still meet the FCC's minimum standards once in use."],"echoes":[]}}},"provenance":{"kind":"legacy_record","basis":"Editorial assignment.","record_fields":["account","replication"],"source_refs":[]},"review_state":"record_mapped","coverage":"partial"}},"summary":{"total":91,"addressed":91,"known":28,"reviewed":2,"reviewed_complete":2,"reviewed_partial":0,"record_mapped":26,"review_not_assessed":63,"not_assessed":0,"complete":false,"by_state":{"value_present":28,"not_reported":0,"unresolved":63,"not_assessed":0,"not_applicable":0,"withheld":0,"source_unavailable":0}}},"presentation_version":"53d93307ac598dca7ffa377c5c212c8dc4ebec54b03e3b01ab0a486d8b41645f"}