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Notes

47 C.F.R. §§ 14.1–14.21

8 sections in range

§14.1. Applicability.

47 C.F.R. § 14.1

Except as provided in §§ 14.2, 14.3, and 14.5 of this chapter, the rules in this part apply to:
(a)
Any manufacturer of equipment used for advanced communications services, including end user equipment, network equipment, and software, that such manufacturer offers for sale or otherwise distributes in interstate commerce; and
(b)
Any provider of advanced communications services that such provider offers in or affecting interstate commerce.
Notes, amendments, and revision history

Amendments

[91 FR 20374, Apr. 16, 2026]

Authority

Authority: 47 U.S.C. 151-154, 255, 303, 403, 503, 617, 618, 619 unless otherwise noted.

Source

Source: 76 FR 82389, Dec. 30, 2011, unless otherwise noted.

Amendments

[91 FR 20374, Apr. 16, 2026]

§14.2. Limitations.

47 C.F.R. § 14.2

(a)
Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section no person shall be liable for a violation of the requirements of the rules in this part with respect to advanced communications services or equipment used to provide or access advanced communications services to the extent such person—
(1)
Transmits, routes, or stores in intermediate or transient storage the communications made available through the provision of advanced communications services by a third party; or
(2)
Provides an information location tool, such as a directory, index, reference, pointer, menu, guide, user interface, or hypertext link, through which an end user obtains access to such advanced communications services or equipment used to provide or access advanced communications services.
(b)
The limitation on liability under paragraph (a) of this section shall not apply to any person who relies on third party applications, services, software, hardware, or equipment to comply with the requirements of the rules in this part with respect to advanced communications services or equipment used to provide or access advanced communications services.
(c)
The requirements of this part shall not apply to any equipment or services, including interconnected VoIP service, that were subject to the requirements of Section 255 of the Act on October 7, 2010, which remain subject to Section 255 of the Act, as amended, and subject to the rules in parts 6 and 7 of this chapter, as amended.
Notes, amendments, and revision history

Authority

Authority: 47 U.S.C. 151-154, 255, 303, 403, 503, 617, 618, 619 unless otherwise noted.

Source

Source: 76 FR 82389, Dec. 30, 2011, unless otherwise noted.

§14.3. Exemption for Customized Equipment or Services.

47 C.F.R. § 14.3

(a)
The rules in this part shall not apply to customized equipment or services that are not offered directly to the public, or to such classes of users as to be effectively available directly to the public, regardless of the facilities used.
(b)
A provider of advanced communications services or manufacturer of equipment used for advanced communications services may claim the exemption in paragraph (a) of this section as a defense in an enforcement proceeding pursuant to subpart D of this part, but is not otherwise required to seek such an affirmative determination from the Commission.
Notes, amendments, and revision history

Authority

Authority: 47 U.S.C. 151-154, 255, 303, 403, 503, 617, 618, 619 unless otherwise noted.

Source

Source: 76 FR 82389, Dec. 30, 2011, unless otherwise noted.

§14.4. Reserved

47 C.F.R. § 14.4

Notes, amendments, and revision history

Authority

Authority: 47 U.S.C. 151-154, 255, 303, 403, 503, 617, 618, 619 unless otherwise noted.

Source

Source: 76 FR 82389, Dec. 30, 2011, unless otherwise noted.

§14.5. Waivers—Multipurpose Services and Equipment.

47 C.F.R. § 14.5

(a)
Waiver.
(1)
On its own motion or in response to a petition by a provider of advanced communications services, a manufacturer of equipment used for advanced communications services, or by any interested party, the Commission may waive the requirements of this part for any feature or function of equipment used to provide or access advanced communications services, or for any class of such equipment, for any provider of advanced communications services, or for any class of such services, that—
(i)
Is capable of accessing an advanced communications service; and
(ii)
Is designed for multiple purposes, but is designed primarily for purposes other than using advanced communications services.
(2)
For any waiver petition under this section, the Commission will examine on a case-by-case basis—
(i)
Whether the equipment or service is designed to be used for advanced communications purposes by the general public; and
(ii)
Whether and how the advanced communications functions or features are advertised, announced, or marketed.
(b)
Class Waiver. For any petition for a waiver of more than one advanced communications service or one piece of equipment used for advanced communications services where the service or equipment share common defining characteristics, in addition to the requirements of §§ 14.5(a)(1) and (2), the Commission will examine the similarity of the service or equipment subject to the petition and the similarity of the advanced communications features or functions of such services or equipment.
(c)
Duration.
(1)
A petition for a waiver of an individual advanced communications service or equipment used for advanced communications services may be granted for the life of the service or equipment as supported by evidence on the record, or for such time as the Commission determines based on evidence on the record.
(2)
A petition for a class waiver may be granted for a time to be determined by the Commission based on evidence on the record, including the lifecycle of the equipment or service in the class. Any class waiver granted under this section will waive the obligations of this part for all advanced communications services and equipment used for advanced communications services subject to a class waiver and made available to the public prior to the expiration of such waiver.
(d)
Public notice. All petitions for waiver filed pursuant to this section shall be put on public notice, with a minimum of a 30-day period for comments and oppositions.
Notes, amendments, and revision history

Authority

Authority: 47 U.S.C. 151-154, 255, 303, 403, 503, 617, 618, 619 unless otherwise noted.

Source

Source: 76 FR 82389, Dec. 30, 2011, unless otherwise noted.

§14.10. Definitions.

47 C.F.R. § 14.10

(a)
The term accessible shall have the meaning provided in § 14.21(b).
(b)
The term achievable shall mean with reasonable effort or expense, as determined by the Commission. In making such a determination, the Commission shall consider:
(1)
The nature and cost of the steps needed to meet the requirements of section 716 of the Act and this part with respect to the specific equipment or service in question;
(2)
The technical and economic impact on the operation of the manufacturer or provider and on the operation of the specific equipment or service in question, including on the development and deployment of new communications technologies;
(3)
The type of operations of the manufacturer or provider; and
(4)
The extent to which the service provider or manufacturer in question offers accessible services or equipment containing varying degrees of functionality and features, and offered at differing price points.
(c)
The term <I>advanced communications services</I> means—
(1)
Interconnected VoIP service, as that term is defined in paragraph (l) of this section;
(2)
Non-interconnected VoIP service, as that term is defined in paragraph (q) of this section;
(3)
Electronic messaging service, as that term is defined in paragraph (i) of this section;
(4)
Interoperable video conferencing service, as that term is defined in paragraph (m) of this section; and
(5)
Any audio or video communications services used by inmates for the purposes of communicating with individuals outside the correctional institution where the inmate is held, regardless of technology used.
(d)
The term application shall mean software designed to perform or to help the user perform a specific task or specific tasks, such as communicating by voice, electronic text messaging, or video conferencing.
(e)
The term compatible shall have the meaning provided in § 14.21(d).
(f)
The term customer premises equipment shall mean equipment employed on the premises of a person (other than a carrier) to originate, route, or terminate telecommunications.
(g)
The term customized equipment or services shall mean equipment and services that are produced or provided to meet unique specifications requested by a business or enterprise customer and not otherwise available to the general public, including public safety networks and devices.
(h)
The term disability shall mean a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of an individual; a record of such an impairment; or being regarded as having such an impairment.
(i)
The term electronic messaging service means a service that provides real-time or near real-time non-voice messages in text form between individuals over communications networks.
(j)
The term end user equipment shall mean equipment designed for consumer use. Such equipment may include both hardware and software components.
(k)
The term hardware shall mean a tangible communications device, equipment, or physical component of communications technology, including peripheral devices, such as a smart phone, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a screen, a keyboard, a speaker, or an amplifier.
(l)
The term interconnected VoIP service shall have the same meaning as in § 9.3 of this chapter, as such section may be amended from time to time.
(m)
An interoperable video conferencing service means a service that provides real-time video communications, including audio, to enable users to share information of the user's choosing.
(n)
The term manufacturer shall mean an entity that makes or produces a product, including equipment used for advanced communications services, including end user equipment, network equipment, and software.
(o)
The term network equipment shall mean equipment facilitating the use of a network, including, routers, network interface cards, networking cables, modems, and other related hardware. Such equipment may include both hardware and software components.
(p)
The term nominal cost in regard to accessibility and usability solutions shall mean small enough so as to generally not be a factor in the consumer's decision to acquire a product or service that the consumer otherwise desires.
(q)
A non-interconnected VoIP service— is a service that:
(1)
Enables real-time voice communications that originate from or terminate to the user's location using Internet protocol or any successor protocol; and
(2)
Requires Internet protocol compatible customer premises equipment; and
(3)
Does not include any service that is an interconnected VoIP service.
(r)
The term peripheral devices shall mean devices employed in connection with equipment, including software, covered by this part to translate, enhance, or otherwise transform advanced communications services into a form accessible to individuals with disabilities.
(s)
The term service provider shall mean a provider of advanced communications services that are offered in or affecting interstate commerce, including a provider of applications and services that can be used for advanced communications services and that can be accessed (i.e., downloaded or run) by users over any service provider network.
(t)
The term software shall mean programs, procedures, rules, and related data and documentation that direct the use and operation of a computer or related device and instruct it to perform a given task or function.
(u)
The term specialized customer premises equipment shall mean customer premise equipment which is commonly used by individuals with disabilities to achieve access.
(v)
The term usable shall have the meaning provided in § 14.21(c).
(w)
The term real-time text shall have the meaning set forth in § 67.1 of this chapter.
(x)
The term text-capable end user device means end user equipment that is able to send, receive, and display text.
Notes, amendments, and revision history

Amendments

[76 FR 82389, Dec. 30, 2011, as amended at 82 FR 7707, Jan. 23, 2017; 89 FR 77360, Sept. 20, 2024]

Authority

Authority: 47 U.S.C. 151-154, 255, 303, 403, 503, 617, 618, 619 unless otherwise noted.

Source

Source: 76 FR 82389, Dec. 30, 2011, unless otherwise noted.

Amendments

[76 FR 82389, Dec. 30, 2011, as amended at 82 FR 7707, Jan. 23, 2017; 89 FR 77360, Sept. 20, 2024]

§14.20. Obligations.

47 C.F.R. § 14.20

(a)
General Obligations.
(1)
With respect to equipment manufactured after the effective date of this part, a manufacturer of equipment used for advanced communications services, including end user equipment, network equipment, and software, must ensure that the equipment and software that such manufacturer offers for sale or otherwise distributes in interstate commerce shall be accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities, unless the requirements of this subsection are not achievable.
(2)
With respect to services provided after the effective date of this part, a provider of advanced communications services must ensure that services offered by such provider in or affecting interstate commerce are accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities, unless the requirements of this paragraph are not achievable.
(3)
If accessibility is not achievable either by building it in or by using third party accessibility solutions available to the consumer at nominal cost and that individuals with disabilities can access, then a manufacturer or service provider shall ensure that its equipment or service is compatible with existing peripheral devices or specialized customer premises equipment, unless the requirements of this subsection are not achievable.
(4)
Providers of advanced communications services shall not install network features, functions, or capabilities that impede accessibility or usability.
(5)
Providers of advanced communications services, manufacturers of equipment used with these services, and providers of networks used with these services may not impair or impede the accessibility of information content when accessibility has been incorporated into that content for transmission through such services, equipment or networks.
(b)
Product design, development, and evaluation.
(1)
Manufacturers and service providers must consider performance objectives set forth in § 14.21 at the design stage as early as possible and must implement such performance objectives, to the extent that they are achievable.
(2)
Manufacturers and service providers must identify barriers to accessibility and usability as part of such evaluation.
(c)
Information Pass Through. Equipment used for advanced communications services, including end user equipment, network equipment, and software must pass through cross-manufacturer, nonproprietary, industry-standard codes, translation protocols, formats or other information necessary to provide advanced communications services in an accessible format, if achievable. Signal compression technologies shall not remove information needed for access or shall restore it upon decompression.
(d)
Information, documentation, and training. Manufacturers and service providers must ensure that the information and documentation that they provide to customers is accessible, if achievable. Such information and documentation includes, but is not limited to, user guides, bills, installation guides for end user devices, and product support communications. The requirement to ensure the information is accessible also includes ensuring that individuals with disabilities can access, at no extra cost, call centers and customer support regarding both the product generally and the accessibility features of the product.
Notes, amendments, and revision history

Authority

Authority: 47 U.S.C. 151-154, 255, 303, 403, 503, 617, 618, 619 unless otherwise noted.

Source

Source: 76 FR 82389, Dec. 30, 2011, unless otherwise noted.

§14.21. Performance Objectives.

47 C.F.R. § 14.21

(a)
Generally. Manufacturers and service providers shall ensure that equipment and services covered by this part are accessible, usable, and compatible as those terms are defined in paragraphs (b) through (d) of this section.
(b)
Accessible. The term accessible shall mean that:
(1)
Input, control, and mechanical functions shall be locatable, identifiable, and operable in accordance with each of the following, assessed independently:
(i)
Operable without vision. Provide at least one mode that does not require user vision.
(ii)
Operable with low vision and limited or no hearing. Provide at least one mode that permits operation by users with visual acuity between 20/70 and 20/200, without relying on audio output.
(iii)
Operable with little or no color perception. Provide at least one mode that does not require user color perception.
(iv)
Operable without hearing. Provide at least one mode that does not require user auditory perception.
(v)
Operable with limited manual dexterity. Provide at least one mode that does not require user fine motor control or simultaneous actions.
(vi)
Operable with limited reach and strength. Provide at least one mode that is operable with user limited reach and strength.
(vii)
Operable with a Prosthetic Device. Controls shall be operable without requiring body contact or close body proximity.
(viii)
Operable without time-dependent controls. Provide at least one mode that does not require a response time or allows response time to be by-passed or adjusted by the user over a wide range.
(ix)
Operable without speech. Provide at least one mode that does not require user speech.
(x)
Operable with limited cognitive skills. Provide at least one mode that minimizes the cognitive, memory, language, and learning skills required of the user.
(2)
All information necessary to operate and use the product, including but not limited to, text, static or dynamic images, icons, labels, sounds, or incidental operating cues, [shall] comply with each of the following, assessed independently:
(i)
Availability of visual information. Provide visual information through at least one mode in auditory form.
(ii)
Availability of visual information for low vision users. Provide visual information through at least one mode to users with visual acuity between 20/70 and 20/200 without relying on audio.
(iii)
Access to moving text. Provide moving text in at least one static presentation mode at the option of the user.
(iv)
Availability of auditory information. Provide auditory information through at least one mode in visual form and, where appropriate, in tactile form. For interoperable video conferencing services, beginning January 12, 2027, provide at least one mode with captions that accurately and synchronously display the spoken communications in a video conference, and enable users to connect with third-party captioning services so that captions provided by such services appear on the requesting user's video conference screen. In this paragraph (b)(2)(iv):
(A)
Accurately means that captioning matches the spoken words of a conversation, in the order spoken, verbatim, without summarizing or paraphrasing, sufficiently to enable a user to understand what is being said.
(B)
Synchronously means that, to the greatest extent possible, the captions begin to appear at the time that the corresponding speech or sounds begin and end approximately when the speech or sounds end, are delivered fast enough to keep up with the speed of those words and sounds, and remain displayed long enough to be read by the user.
(v)
Availability of auditory information for people who are hard of hearing. Provide audio or acoustic information, including any auditory feedback tones that are important for the use of the product, through at least one mode in enhanced auditory fashion (i.e., increased amplification, increased signal-to-noise ratio, or combination).
(vi)
Prevention of visually-induced seizures. Visual displays and indicators shall minimize visual flicker that might induce seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy.
(vii)
Availability of audio cutoff. Where a product delivers audio output through an external speaker, provide an industry standard connector for headphones or personal listening devices (e.g., phone-like handset or earcup) which cuts off the speaker(s) when used.
(viii)
Non-interference with hearing technologies. Reduce interference to hearing technologies (including hearing aids, cochlear implants, and assistive listening devices) to the lowest possible level that allows a user to utilize the product.
(ix)
Hearing aid coupling. Where a product delivers output by an audio transducer which is normally held up to the ear, provide a means for effective wireless coupling to hearing aids.
(3)
Real-Time Text. Wireless interconnected VoIP services subject to this part and text-capable end user devices used with such services that do not themselves provide TTY functionality, may provide TTY connectability and signal compatibility pursuant to paragraphs (b)(3) and (4) of this section, or support real-time text communications, in accordance with 47 CFR part 67.
(4)
Interoperable Video Conferencing Service. In addition to the other requirements of this section, beginning January 12, 2027, interoperable video conferencing services and covered equipment and software used with such services shall:
(i)
Enable the use of sign language interpretation provided by third parties, including the transmission of user requests for sign language interpretation to providers of video relay service and other entities and the provision of sufficient video quality to support sign language communication.
(ii)
Provide user interface control functions that permit users to activate and adjust the display of captions, speakers, and signers and other features for which user control is necessary for accessibility. In this paragraph (ii):
(A)
Adjust the display of captions means that a video conference participant can alter the size, font, and on-screen location of captions and adjust the color and opacity of both the captions and the caption background.
(B)
Adjust the display of speakers and signers means that video conference participants can minimize or hide extraneous windows, expand the windows of their choice, or relocate particular windows; and edit their own display names before or after joining a video conference.
(c)
Usable. The term usable shall mean that individuals with disabilities have access to the full functionality and documentation for the product, including instructions, product information (including accessible feature information), documentation and technical support functionally equivalent to that provided to individuals without disabilities.
(d)
Compatible. The term compatible shall mean compatible with peripheral devices and specialized customer premises equipment, and in compliance with the following provisions, as applicable:
(1)
External electronic access to all information and control mechanisms. Information needed for the operation of products (including output, alerts, icons, on-line help, and documentation) shall be available in a standard electronic text format on a cross-industry standard port and all input to and control of a product shall allow for real time operation by electronic text input into a cross-industry standard external port and in cross-industry standard format. The cross-industry standard port shall not require manipulation of a connector by the user.
(2)
Connection point for external audio processing devices. Products providing auditory output shall provide the auditory signal at a standard signal level through an industry standard connector.
(3)
TTY connectability. Products that provide a function allowing voice communication and which do not themselves provide a TTY functionality shall provide a standard non-acoustic connection point for TTYs. It shall also be possible for the user to easily turn any microphone on and off to allow the user to intermix speech with TTY use.
(4)
TTY signal compatibility. Products, including those providing voice communication functionality, shall support use of all cross-manufacturer non-proprietary standard signals used by TTYs.
(5)
TTY Support Exemption. Interconnected and non-interconnected VoIP services subject to this part that are provided over wireless IP facilities and equipment are not required to provide TTY connectability and TTY signal compatibility if such services and equipment support real-time text, in accordance with 47 CFR part 67.
Notes, amendments, and revision history

Amendments

[76 FR 82389, Dec. 30, 2011, as amended at 82 FR 7707, Jan. 23, 2017; 89 FR 100896, Dec. 13, 2024]

Authority

Authority: 47 U.S.C. 151-154, 255, 303, 403, 503, 617, 618, 619 unless otherwise noted.

Source

Source: 76 FR 82389, Dec. 30, 2011, unless otherwise noted.

Amendments

[76 FR 82389, Dec. 30, 2011, as amended at 82 FR 7707, Jan. 23, 2017; 89 FR 100896, Dec. 13, 2024]