Hearing Carry-Over (HCO)

Hearing carry-over—or HCO—is ideal for people who are able to hear, but have difficulty speaking over the phone. The HCO user types his or her side of the conversation, using a TTY or similar device, and the Communications Assistant (CA) voices the typed words to the other person. When the other person speaks, the HCO user listens directly to what is being said.

Two-Line HCO

This feature gives HCO users additional control and allows them to have an interactive conversation without the use of Relay commands such as “GA” (Go Ahead) and “SK” (Stop Keying). The CA will not identify the Relay and will only voice the typed text of the HCO user to the person he/she has called. 2-Line HCO requires two telephone lines, one of which must have 3-way conferencing capabilities.

Making an HCO Call

(A Georgia Relay Customer Profile is highly recommended for HCO users and will streamline the following steps.)

Dial 7-1-1 or 1-800-255-0056 to reach Georgia Relay.
When the message, “GTRS CA #XXXX (M/F) NBR PLS Q GA,” appears on your text screen, type the area code and telephone number you are calling, followed by “HCO GA.”
Wait for the CA to both type and say “HCO ON GA” to indicate that Hearing Carry Over has been activated.
When the person you are calling answers, you can listen directly to him or her. Please remember to type “GA” when you are ready to hear the other party’s response. This alerts him or her to begin responding to you.
To end your call, type “GA to SK” or simply type “Goodbye.”
If you want to make another Relay call after your conversation is finished, stay on the line and the CA will assist you