What Relay UK does

Relay UK is the UK national relay service for deaf, hard-of-hearing, and speech-impaired people, operated by BT under Ofcom's General Conditions of Entitlement as the sole wholesale supplier. The service enables real-time phone communication by connecting users to trained human Relay Assistants who transcribe speech to text and read typed responses aloud, bridging the gap between textphone/app users and hearing callers. The service is available through a multi-platform app (iOS 15+, Android 11+, Windows 10 19044+, macOS 13 Ventura+), legacy textphone devices (Minicom, Uniphone, BT Textphone, Screenphone, TextLink), and the emergencySMS and 999 BSL video relay channels for British Sign Language users. Core product features include TextNumber (07777 mobile, 03306 landline), PCI-DSS compliant card payment processing via a separate Payment Agent, and TLS 1.2-encrypted communications.

The platform has evolved through three generations: TypeTalk (1991, textphone only), Next Generation Text (2014, extended to smartphones and computers), and Relay UK (2019 rebrand, unified app), with a full digital platform migration completed in February 2025 that retired the legacy NGT Lite app. The service is regulated by Ofcom against defined KPIs: 90% of standard calls answered within 15 seconds, 95% of emergency calls within 5 seconds, 98%+ voice-to-text accuracy, 40+ words-per-minute transcription speed, and fewer than 1 complaint per 1,000 calls.

The business model is non-commercial at the user level: the service is free to end users, who pay only their normal phone call charges, and the only usage-based fee is Relay Assist at 1p per minute plus access charge. Costs are recovered through Ofcom-mandated contributions from all UK landline and mobile communication providers, who must support 18001/18002 access codes and offer rebate schemes to eligible users. Distribution is universal by regulation rather than by sales: every UK phone provider is a mandated channel partner, and the app is self-serve across the major app stores. Headcount is reported at 251-500, with operations based in the UK (London and Preston).

Name

Relay UK

Legal name

BT

Website

https://relayuk.bt.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Accessibility Telecommunications Services

NAICS

Translation and Interpretation Services (541930)

SIC

Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) (4813)

akta.pro primary industry

Assistive Hearing & Communication Access (Captioning, Hearing Support, Transcription) (EDAFAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Note-Taking, Interpreting & Communication Access Services (EDALAGAD), Assistive Reading & Writing Tools (Text-to-Speech, Speech-to-Text, OCR, Dyslexia Support) (EDAFAKAA)

Keywords

• Accessibility telecommunications
• Relay services
• Deaf communication
• Voice-to-text translation
• Ofcom regulated services

Headquarters

HQ city

Preston

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government-Mandated Relay Service: BT operates Relay UK as the Ofcom-mandated wholesale supplier of the UK national relay service. The service is free to end users; costs are absorbed through regulatory requirements placed on all UK communication providers who must support accessibility measures. Users pay only their normal phone call charges.
2. Relay Assist Service: Relay Assist is an assisted dialing service where users call 0870 240 9598 (for deaf users) or 0870 240 5152 (for hearing users calling deaf persons). These calls cost 1p per minute plus the phone company's access charge.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Relay UK is the UK's national relay service, operated by BT Group under Ofcom mandate, that enables deaf, hard-of-hearing, and speech-impaired people to communicate over the phone. Trained Relay Assistants convert spoken words into real-time text for deaf users and convert typed messages into voice for speech-impaired users. The service is available across a multi-platform app (iOS, Android, Windows, Mac), textphones, and emergency 999 access, with unique TextNumbers that simplify inbound call routing for users.

Product overview

Relay UK is a UK national relay service run by BT that enables deaf, hard-of-hearing, and speech-impaired people to communicate over the phone. The core offering consists of the Relay UK App (available on iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac) which connects users to Relay Assistants for real-time text-to-voice and voice-to-text transcription. The service also supports TextNumbers (unique prefixes 07777/03306) for easier call routing and Textphone compatibility. Relay Assist provides an optional help line for users needing assistance with dialing. All services are free to use, with users only paying standard call charges.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TextNumber: A unique phone number that lets people call Relay UK users without having to dial the 18002 prefix. Mobile users get numbers starting with 07777; landline users get numbers starting with 03306.
• Relay Assist
• emergencySMS

Products and services

• Relay UK App Mobile and desktop application enabling deaf, hard-of-hearing, and speech-impaired individuals to communicate over the phone through real-time text conversations mediated by trained Relay Assistants. Available on iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac.
• TextNumber Unique phone number service (07777 prefix for mobile app users and 03306 prefix for landline/textphone users) that allows hearing persons to reach Relay UK users without dialling the 18002 access prefix first.
• Relay Assist Pre-call assistance service connecting users to a Relay Assistant for help before making a relay call, available at 0870 240 9598 (for deaf/speech-impaired users) and 0870 240 5152 (for hearing callers) at 1p per minute plus phone company access charge.
• Textphone Relay Service Relay UK service for users of textphone devices (Minicom, Uniphone, BT Textphone, Screenphone, TextLink 9100) who connect to Relay Assistants by dialling the 18001 access prefix, supporting both traditional and digital landlines.
• emergencySMS Text-based emergency service allowing deaf, hard-of-hearing, and speech-impaired users to contact 999 by sending an SMS, complementing the 18000 voice relay access to emergency services.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% of standard relay calls answered within 15 seconds
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BT (British Telecom)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014BT operates Relay UK as the sole wholesale supplier under Ofcom regulations. Originally launched as Next Generation Text (NGT) service in 2014, BT manages the relay centres, trains Relay Assistants, and operates the technology platform. All UK communication providers are required to support the service.
• OfcomcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfcom is the UK communications regulator that oversees the relay service. They set quality-of-service measures and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), review BT's performance quarterly, and mandate that all UK communication providers support Relay UK access under the General Conditions of Entitlement.
• Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRNID originally established the UK's national relay service (as TypeTalk) in 1991. The modern Relay UK service evolved from this foundation. RNID provides research data on hearing loss prevalence (18 million people in UK) that informs market understanding.
• India MorseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndia Morse, a Deaf Fitness and Health Instructor, is featured as a brand ambassador on the Relay UK homepage, demonstrating how the service transforms communication for people with hearing or speech difficulties.
• 999 BSL Emergency Video Relay ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership enabling British Sign Language users to make emergency 999 calls via video relay. This is described as 'the UK's first ever emergency service to be fully accessible to the deaf community.' Available at 999bsl.co.uk.
• UK Communication ProviderscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAll UK landline and mobile phone providers (such as BT, Virgin Media, Sky, TalkTalk, O2, Vodafone, EE, Three) must support Relay UK access under Ofcom regulations. They must enable 18001/18002 access codes and offer rebate schemes to eligible deaf/speech-impaired customers.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• 999BSL: UK emergency video relay service for British Sign Language users to contact 999. Same UK regulator context and partial relay model as Relay UK but scoped narrowly to emergencies.

Emerging players

• InnoCaption: Smartphone-based captioned-call service for deaf/HoH users in the US, combining live stenographers and ASR. A more app-native, mobile-first analog to Relay UK's app offering.
• CaptionCall: US provider of captioned telephones for people with hearing loss, using automated speech recognition plus human captioning agents. Overlaps Relay UK's STT/captioning function with a stronger automation emphasis.

Direct peers

• Hamilton Relay: One of the largest US state-funded relay providers (Telecommunications Relay Services / Captioned Telephone), delivering traditional relay and captioned-call services for deaf/HoH users across multiple US states under contract — closely analogous to Relay UK's national relay model.
• Sorenson Communications: Major US provider of relay services for deaf/HoH users, including Video Relay Service (VRS) for ASL and IP Relay. Operates a similar human-mediated real-time interpretation model, but focused on the US market under FCC mandate rather than Ofcom.
• Convo Relay: US-based deaf-owned relay/video-interpreting provider serving deaf and HoH consumers and businesses. Offers app-based relay services comparable in mode of delivery to Relay UK.
• T-Mobile IP Relay (formerly Sprint IP Relay): US IP-based relay service for deaf/HoH users launched by Sprint and continued by T-Mobile, providing app-based text-to-voice relay. Same core technology stack and regulatory framing as Relay UK.
• i711 Relay: US text and voice relay service for deaf/HoH users, provided via state telecommunications access programs. Functions as a near-direct analog of Relay UK in design and end-user experience.
• AT&T Relay Services: AT&T operates a US national relay service offering TTY, Voice, Spanish, and CapTel relay — a major carrier-operated relay service analogous in scope and regulatory role to BT's Relay UK.

Broad incumbents

• Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD): Large US non-profit providing a broad portfolio of deaf-access services (relay, interpreting, job training, ASL learning), analogous in mission breadth to Relay UK's national-relay role but on a larger, non-profit-driven scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Relay UK