Sprint’s Hard of Hearing Customers Benefit from New and Free Web-Based Solution

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., (BUSINESS WIRE) — Sprint (NYSE:S) released Sprint WebCapTel(R), a new free web-based service that allows a person who can speak but has challenges hearing over the phone, to read word-for-word captions of their calls on a web browser. This new service is expected to help an estimated 23 million Americans with hearing loss, who may face challenges hearing over the telephone.

“We are always looking for ways to offer unique and easy user experiences for our customers. This new solution from Sprint will offer the hard-of-hearing community with the ability to enjoy the benefits of a natural phone conversation by accessing real-time web-based captions,” says Mike Ligas, director of Sprint Relay.

With Sprint WebCapTel(R), users can make and receive calls on their own telephone, cell phone, land-line, or even an amplified phone. During the call, if they have difficulty hearing what is being said, they can log into www.sprintcaptel.com and read written captions of everything their caller speaks. Captions appear virtually at the same time as the person speaks, allowing users to enjoy a natural telephone conversation.

With this new service, CapTel(R) is available almost anywhere with a phone and internet access on a computer. Using any phone, even amplified phones, Sprint WebCapTel(R) will capture the audio of the person speaking to the user and change the spoken sounds into words to read. When displayed on a web browser, the user can change the font size, color, and even background. When a call is completed, the user can save the captioned conversation for later review, allowing the user to concentrate on being involved in the conversation.

“WebCapTel puts people with hearing loss back in control of their own telephone conversations – any time, anywhere – by capitalizing on the convenience and prevalence of the Internet,” states Robert Engelke, president of Ultratec, Inc., the company that developed CapTel technology. “It gives people with hearing loss the confidence to rely on the telephone again, leveling the playing field for professional opportunities, in social situations, and in matters of personal safety.”