Relay North Dakota

What Relay North Dakota does

Relay North Dakota is a state-administered public service program that provides free telecommunications relay services to individuals with hearing or speech disabilities residing in North Dakota. The service is operated under contract with the North Dakota Information Technology (NDIT) department and delivered by T-Mobile Accessibility, which supplies trained Communications Assistants available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week to facilitate phone calls between users and standard telephone subscribers. The portfolio comprises traditional Relay Services (TTY, Voice Carry-Over, TeleBraille, Spanish Relay), Speech-to-Speech Services for users with speech disabilities, the Telecommunications Equipment Distribution Services (TEDS) Specialized Phone program administered in partnership with ND Assistive, and a statewide Outreach Program offering free presentations and training.

The underlying technology is human-mediated rather than automated: Communications Assistants are specifically trained to understand diverse speech patterns, repeat words for clarity, operate Braille devices for DeafBlind callers, and handle Spanish-language relay. A Customer Profile system enables users to configure call-handling preferences. The TEDS program distributes specialized telecommunications equipment at no charge to qualifying individuals who are communications impaired.

The business model is government-funded and free to end users. Revenue is derived from telephone access line surcharges and state government contracts channelled through NDIT and the ND Department of Human Services Aging Services Division. There is no commercial pricing, no equity funding, no M&A activity, and no expansion beyond North Dakota. The organization has 51-100 employees, is headquartered in Phoenix (the location of T-Mobile Accessibility's Customer Relationship Manager for the program), and is administratively anchored in Bismarck, ND. Relay North Dakota functions as a regulated public utility rather than a commercial enterprise, and its growth is structurally bounded by the eligible population of the state.

Name

Relay North Dakota

Legal name

Relay North Dakota

Website

https://relaynorthdakota.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Relay North Dakota is a free, state-contracted public service providing 24/7 telecommunications relay and speech-to-speech services to North Dakota residents with hearing or speech disabilities, delivered by T-Mobile Accessibility under contract with NDIT and funded via telephone surcharges.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Phoenix

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government-funded Public Service: Relay North Dakota is provided as a free public service to support telephone communication for people with hearing or speech disabilities. The service is funded through telephone access line surcharges and government contracts. Users do not pay for the service.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Relay North Dakota provides free telecommunications relay services that enable individuals with hearing or speech disabilities to make and receive phone calls through trained Communications Assistants available 24/7. The service covers traditional relay calls, Speech-to-Speech assistance, multiple call modes (TTY, TeleBraille, Voice Carry-Over, Hearing Carry-Over, Spanish Relay), and a Telecommunications Equipment Distribution Services (TEDS) program that provides specialized phone equipment at no charge.

Product overview

Relay North Dakota is a free public service telecommunications relay program providing phone communication access for individuals with hearing or speech disabilities. The service operates under contract with North Dakota Information Technology (NDIT) and is provided by T-Mobile Accessibility. The portfolio consists of core Relay Services including traditional relay calls with Communications Assistants, specialized Speech-to-Speech Services for individuals with speech disabilities, and Telecommunications Equipment Distribution Services (TEDS) providing free specialized phone equipment. Additional offerings include an Outreach Program with free presentations and training, various accessibility modes (TTY, TeleBraille, Voice Carry-Over, Hearing Carry-Over), Spanish-language relay services, and a Customer Profile system for personalized call handling. All services are designed to ensure independent and accessible telephone communication for North Dakota residents with communication disabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Speech-to-Speech (STS): Relay service for people with speech disabilities where a Communications Assistant repeats words as needed for clarity.
• Hearing Carry-Over (HCO)
• Telecommunications Equipment Distribution Services (TEDS)
• Outreach Program

Products and services

• Relay Services A free public service enabling telephone communication for people with hearing or speech disabilities through specially trained Communications Assistants who facilitate relay calls 24/7.
• Speech-to-Speech Services A service for individuals with speech disabilities where Communications Assistants repeat words as needed for clarity, allowing users to speak for themselves on phone calls.
• Telecommunications Equipment Distribution Services (TEDS) Also known as the Specialized Phone program, TEDS provides specialized telecommunications equipment free of charge to individuals who are communication impaired and need assistance obtaining equipment to independently use standard phone service.
• Outreach Program Relay North Dakota Outreach Specialists provide presentations, exhibits, demonstrations, and one-on-one trainings at no cost to inform the community about accessible telecommunication services.
• Text Telephone (TTY) Relay service enabling text-based telephone communication for users who are Deaf or hard of hearing using TTY devices.
• TeleBraille Relay service utilizing Braille devices to facilitate telephone communication for DeafBlind individuals.
• Voice Carry-Over (VCO) Relay service allowing users with hearing impairments to speak directly while receiving text responses from the Communications Assistant.
• Hearing Carry-Over (HCO) Relay service allowing users who cannot hear to listen to the called party while typing responses for the Communications Assistant to relay verbally.
• Spanish Relay Relay service providing communication assistance in Spanish for Spanish-speaking individuals with hearing or speech disabilities.

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• T-Mobile AccessibilitycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRelay North Dakota services are provided by T-Mobile Accessibility under contract agreement with North Dakota Information Technology (NDIT). T-Mobile Accessibility manages the operational delivery of relay services including trained Communications Assistants.
• North Dakota Assistive (ND Assistive)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerND Assistive contracts with the ND Department of Human Services, Aging Services Division, to implement the Specialized Phone program (TEDS). ND Assistive manages the equipment distribution services and administration for the Specialized Phone program.
• North Dakota Information Technology (NDIT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState government department that holds the contract with T-Mobile Accessibility to provide Relay North Dakota services. NDIT oversees the relay service program for the state.
• ND Department of Human Services, Aging Services DivisioncoreOthersState government department that provides funding through telephone access line surcharges for the Telecommunications Equipment Distribution Services (TEDS) Specialized Phone program.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Hamilton Relay: Operates state-level relay programs across multiple U.S. states on contract, providing TTY, STS, captioned telephone, and IP relay services — directly comparable to Relay North Dakota as a competing state relay provider.
• CaptionCall: Provider of captioned telephone service for people with hearing loss, displaying live captions of phone calls on a specialized phone — directly comparable to Relay North Dakota's captioned/assisted telephone services.
• Convo Communications: Video relay service provider for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community, offering sign-language interpretation over video — a directly comparable accessibility communications service for the same user population.
• CSDVRS: Video relay service operated by CSD, providing on-demand sign-language interpretation for phone calls — a comparable accessibility communications service serving an overlapping customer base.
• CSD (Communication Service for the Deaf): Non-profit organization providing relay, interpreting, and accessibility communications services to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community, with a comparable mission-driven service portfolio.
• ZVRS (ZP Better Together): Video relay service provider offering sign-language interpretation and accessibility communications, comparable to Relay North Dakota in serving the Deaf and Hard of Hearing population across phone-based communications.

Emerging players

• Maui Belt: Provides IP-based relay and video relay services as an alternative to traditional TTY-based relay infrastructure, representing the next-generation technology direction for accessibility communications that Relay North Dakota is migrating toward.

Broad incumbents

• Sorenson Communications: Largest U.S. provider of relay and video relay services (including former CaptionCall and Purple Communications), serving the deaf and hard-of-hearing community with overlapping service categories (relay, captioned telephone, VRS).
• T-Mobile Accessibility: Operational delivery partner for Relay North Dakota under NDIT contract; broader division of T-Mobile providing relay and accessibility services across many states, with overlapping service portfolio and customer base.

Regional players

• Rogers Communications Accessibility Services (Canada): Operates IP Relay and Video Relay services in Canada through partnerships, serving the same hearing- and speech-disabled population as Relay North Dakota but in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Relay North Dakota