Sprint First to Launch WebCapTel® On the Go, a New and Free Mobile Solution for Hard of Hearing Customers
Allows customers to read word-for-word captions on select Sprint devices
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Oct. 20, 2008 – Sprint (NYSE:S) today announced the
availability of Sprint WebCapTel® On the Go, a new, free mobile Web-based service that allows hard of hearing customers to read word-for-word captions on Windows Mobile 6
Web browsers, such as the Diamond by HTC, Mogul by HTC, Palm Treo 800w and the
MOTO Q9c by Motorola. In addition, this service is also compatible with the Safari 2.0 Web
browser. This new service is expected to help an estimated 30 million Americans with hearing loss.
“Sprint is committed to equal access to all individuals,” said Mike Ligas, director of Sprint
Relay. “As such, we pride ourselves on offering the newest technology to hard of hearing
individuals. This new solution offers the hard of hearing community mobility by being able
to read real-time Web-based captions on Windows-enabled mobile devices.”
With Sprint WebCapTel On the Go, users can make calls using two phones — reading
captions on a wireless phone and listening and speaking on a second phone. Prior to
making a call, the user would log onto www.sprintcaptel.com on one mobile device to read
text captions of what the other party is saying. For more information on Sprint’s wireless
devices and select plans, go to the Sprint Relay Store at www.sprintrelaystore.com.
Sprint WebCapTel On the Go is an extension of Sprint’s existing WebCapTel service, which
also provides captions during phone calls, but requires a computer with an Internet
browser of Internet Explorer 7.0, Firefox 3.0 or Safari 2.0 on which to display the
captions. This new and free service is available almost anywhere as long as the wireless
device is equipped with Windows Mobile 6 or an Apple Safari Web browser. Sprint
WebCapTel On the Go changes spoken words and sounds heard on a telephone into words
to read.
“Sprint WebCapTel On the Go allows individuals with hearing loss the mobility that many
of us take for granted,” said Robert Engelke, president of Ultratec, Inc., the company that
developed CapTel technology. “It gives people with hearing loss the independence to
make and receive telephone calls without the necessity of wireline phones or computer
connectivity.”
This free service is available for customers anywhere in the United States and within U.S.
Territories. However, calls to or from international locations, such as Canada or Mexico,
are not available. To learn more about this free service, visit www.sprintcaptel.com or
www.sprintrelay.com/webcaptel.htm
CapTel and WebCapTel are registered trademarks of Ultratec, Inc.