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 RIT student Eric Cardenas is deaf. He relies on video phones to keep in touch with his family in Texas and for video conferencing. But the deaf community may find itself priced out of the video phone option due to metered pricing for internet usage. Time Warner Cable is starting the metered pricing this fall in the Rochester market.
"This is our main avenue of communication, and I think they've left us out of the planning on this," said Cardenas. "It's limiting our choice, limiting our freedoms, limiting our communication."
Video phones need high speed internet to provide a smooth, real-time conversation. Interpreters at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at RIT say the deaf community gravitates toward tools that help facilitate a human connection for communication.
Along with personal conversations, video phones help the deaf communicate clearly with businesses, like banks, and medical offices. "I need that," said Eddie Swayze, a deaf employee at RIT. "Video phones with relay service help me to make sure I don't misunderstand or get confused when communicating detailed information with businesses, like my insurance company. It's really critical for me."
News 10NBC contacted Time Warner Cable about the issue. A company spokesperson said they would look into the video phone internet issue, but as of 6pm Monday, Time Warner had made no comment.
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