What Hamilton Relay does

Hamilton Relay, Inc. is a privately held division of Hamilton Telecommunications (Nedelco, Inc.) that provides telecommunications relay services and captioned telephone (CapTel) services to individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, DeafBlind, or have difficulty speaking. Founded in 1991 and headquartered in Aurora, Nebraska, the company operates under state Public Service Commission contracts in 31+ states and territories, with services accessible nationwide through 711 toll-free dialing, dedicated CapTel hardware (eight phone models), web-based Hamilton CapTel, and Hamilton Mobile CapTel applications on iOS and Android.

The company's product portfolio spans multiple relay modalities — TTY, VCO, HCO, DBS, STS, Voice, Spanish Relay, and Remote Conference Captioning (RCC) — plus an enterprise offering, Hamilton CapTel for Business, integrated with Cisco Unified Communications Manager. The underlying technology combines Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) for live captioning with trained Communication Assistants who handle corrections and call facilitation. A proprietary layer called SmartCaptions dynamically routes calls between ASR-only and ASR+human-assisted modes based on real-time analysis. CapTel technology is licensed from Ultratec, Inc.

Hamilton Relay's revenue model is purely usage-based: providers receive per-minute compensation from the federally administered Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) Fund for each minute of relay or IP Captioned Telephone Service delivered. Services are provided at no cost to eligible users, with end-user billing prohibited. The go-to-market operates as a hybrid B2G/sales-led and community-led motion — state competitive bidding establishes contracts, while state-based outreach coordinators, community partnerships (e.g., NCDHH, NSTEP), and educational programs drive awareness among deaf/HoH/DeafBlind/speech-impaired populations. The company is profitable-by-design within a regulated cost-recovery framework rather than a venture-backed growth model.

Name

Hamilton Relay

Legal name

Hamilton Relay, Inc.

Website

https://hamiltonrelay.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Hamilton Relay is a Nebraska-based telecommunications relay services provider serving deaf, hard of hearing, DeafBlind, and speech-impaired individuals across 31+ U.S. states through state-contracted relay services, captioned telephone (CapTel) hardware and apps, and ASR-powered live captioning funded by the federal TRS Fund.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Telecommunications Relay Services

NAICS

Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (51711)

SIC

Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) (4813)

akta.pro primary industry

Numbering, DID, Porting & Carrier-of-Record Services (HDAIAHAK)

Keywords

• Telecommunications relay services
• Captioned telephone services
• Accessibility communications
• Deaf hard of hearing
• Speech to speech relay

Headquarters

HQ city

Aurora

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) Contracts: Hamilton Relay receives compensation from the federally administered TRS Fund for each minute of relay service provided. Providers are selected through state bidding processes and enter into contract agreements. IP Captioned Telephone Service costs per minute are paid from this federally administered fund.
2. Captioned Telephone Service: Captioned telephone services funded through federally administered programs. The company provides CapTel services both through contracted state programs and nationwide internet-based services (Hamilton CapTel for Web/iOS/Android). Costs per minute of captions are covered by federal funds.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Hamilton Relay provides federally funded Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) and Captioned Telephone (CapTel) services that enable deaf, hard of hearing, DeafBlind, and speech-impaired individuals to communicate over the phone. Services are delivered through multiple relay modalities (TTY, VCO, HCO, DBS, STS, Voice, Spanish Relay, RCC) accessed via 711, plus dedicated CapTel phones, web-based CapTel, and iOS/Android mobile applications. Revenue is generated primarily through per-minute compensation from a federally administered TRS Fund via contracts with state Public Service Commissions, with additional direct-to-user CapTel offerings available nationwide.

Product overview

Hamilton Relay provides telecommunications relay services enabling individuals who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, DeafBlind, or have difficulty speaking to communicate over the telephone. The core offering includes multiple relay service modalities (TTY, VCO, HCO, DBS, STS, Voice, Spanish Relay, and RCC) accessible via dial 711, supplemented by the Hamilton CapTel captioned telephone product line. CapTel services are delivered across dedicated hardware devices (CapTel 200/800/840/840PLUS/2400i/880i/840i/800i), web-based access (Hamilton Web CapTel), and mobile applications (Hamilton Mobile CapTel for iOS/Android), as well as the enterprise-focused Hamilton CapTel for Business integrated with Cisco phone systems. The company is a division of Hamilton Telecommunications, headquartered in Aurora, Nebraska, and has provided relay services since 1991 across numerous contracted states with nationwide IP Captioned Telephone Service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hamilton CapTel: Captioned Telephone service and phone products designed exclusively for individuals with hearing loss, allowing users to listen and read word-for-word captions of phone conversations.

Products and services

• TTY (Text Telephone) Relay Service Traditional relay service that allows deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals to type messages that are relayed by a Communication Assistant to the called party, and to receive typed responses back. Available 24/7/365 via 711 in contracted states.
• VCO (Voice Carry Over) Relay Service Relay service for individuals with hearing loss who can speak but cannot hear. The user speaks directly to the other party and reads the incoming voice via a Communication Assistant who transcribes the responses to text.
• HCO (Hearing Carry Over) Relay Service Relay service for individuals who can hear but have difficulty speaking. The user listens directly to the called party and types responses that a Communication Assistant voices to the other party.
• DBS (DeafBlind Service) Relay Specialized relay service for people with combined hearing and vision loss. The Communication Assistant types messages that are displayed on the user's braille display, enabling two-way telephone communication for DeafBlind users.
• STS (Speech-to-Speech) Relay Service Relay service for individuals who have difficulty speaking or being understood on the telephone. Specially trained Communication Assistants, familiar with a range of speech patterns, repeat the user's words so the called party can understand them.
• Voice Relay Service Allows standard telephone users to initiate and receive calls with individuals who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, DeafBlind, or have speech difficulties and may be using TTY, TeleBraille, or other assistive devices.
• Spanish Relay Service Relay service with Spanish-language capability available for all relay calling options, with English/Spanish translation provided in select states.
• RCC (Remote Conference Captioning) Real-time captioning for conference calls using Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART), enabling participants with hearing loss to read what other participants say.
• Hamilton CapTel (Captioned Telephone) Captioned telephone service that displays word-for-word captions of everything the other party says during phone calls. Available as dedicated hardware phones (CapTel 200, 800, 840, 840PLUS, 2400i, 880i, 840i, 800i), IP phones, and software applications for web and mobile. Free to registered users with hearing loss.
• Hamilton CapTel for Web Internet-based captioned telephone service accessible via web browser, allowing users to make and receive captioned phone calls from a computer with an internet connection.
• Hamilton Mobile CapTel (iOS/Android) Mobile applications for iOS and Android that provide Hamilton captioned telephone service on smartphones and tablets, downloadable from the Apple App Store and Google Play.
• Hamilton CapTel for Business, Interconnected by Tenacity Enterprise captioning solution available on Cisco business phone systems that provides real-time captions for business calls through Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM) integration.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free relay services for users funded through federally administered program
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Nebraska Specialized Telecommunications Equipment Program (NSTEP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership between Nebraska Relay and NSTEP to provide comprehensive communication access resources. NSTEP provides up to $1,000 financial assistance for specialized telecommunications equipment including amplified phones, captioned telephones, speech-generating devices, alerting systems, and wireless technology compatible with hearing aids.
• Nebraska Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (NCDHH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCDHH serves as a proactive state agency linking Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing Nebraskans with resources and information. The Commission works with Nebraska Relay to promote communication access through education, outreach, and partnerships across the state.
• State Public Service CommissionscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorState Public Service Commissions or Public Utility Commissions administer relay services and select providers through competitive bidding processes. Hamilton Relay enters into contract agreements to provide TRS and CapTel services in contracted states.
• Federal Communications Commission (FCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe FCC establishes regulations and requirements for relay services and oversees the TRS Fund that compensates providers. IP Captioned Telephone services are administered federally. Hamilton must adhere to FCC rules and regulations.
• 93.7 The TicketminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNebraska radio station partnered with Nebraska Relay, NSTEP, and NCDHH for the Business Builders program to raise awareness about accessible communication resources during National Speech-Language-Hearing Month.
• Ultratec, Inc.coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLicensed operator for CapTel (Captioned Telephone) trademark and technology. Hamilton Relay uses CapTel services under license from Ultratec, Inc., which holds the registered trademark for CapTel.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ultratec, Inc. Owner of the CapTel trademark and core captioning technology that Hamilton Relay licenses, and operator of CaptionCall — a directly competing captioned telephone service. Ultratec is both Hamilton's most important technology partner and its most direct competitor in the captioned-telephone market.
• CaptionCall: Captioned telephone service and a subsidiary of Ultratec, Inc., competing head-to-head with Hamilton CapTel for hearing-loss users and audiologist referrals. Directly comparable product, customer base (hard-of-hearing individuals), and federal funding model.
• Sorenson Communications: One of the largest TRS and video relay service providers in the US, competing with Hamilton for state Public Service Commission contracts and serving deaf/HoH customers with overlapping relay modalities. Closest large-scale competitor to Hamilton Relay's core TRS business.
• ClearCaptions: Federally funded captioned telephone service provider competing directly with Hamilton CapTel. Comparable product offering (captioned phone calls for hearing-loss users) and funding model (TRS Fund per-minute compensation).
• Convo Relay: Video relay service and relay provider serving deaf and HoH communities. Competes with Hamilton for state contracts and overlapping end-user populations, with comparable GTM through community outreach and state agency partnerships.
• ZVRS (ZP Better Together): Video relay service provider competing with Hamilton for VRS/state relay contracts and overlapping deaf/HoH customer segments. Comparable technology (video-based relay with human interpreters) and FCC-funded revenue model.
• Purple Communications: Video relay service and telecommunications provider serving deaf and HoH communities. Overlapping service categories, customer base, and federal/state funding mechanisms with Hamilton Relay.
• Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD): Nonprofit provider of relay and interpreting services for deaf and HoH individuals. Competes with Hamilton for state relay contracts and shares the same federal TRS funding mechanism and end-user community.

Emerging players

• InnoCaption: Mobile app providing real-time captioning for phone calls targeted at deaf and HoH users. Overlaps with Hamilton Mobile CapTel on iOS/Android but focuses specifically on smartphone-based captioning rather than full relay service modalities.
• Ava: AI-powered live captioning app for conversations and meetings. While focused primarily on in-person and meeting captioning rather than telephone relay, Ava represents the broader wave of AI captioning tools that compete for the same hard-of-hearing end-user attention.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hamiltonrelay
• Facebookfacebook.com/hamiltonrelay
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hamilton-relay
• Instagraminstagram.com/hamiltonrelay

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hamilton Relay