Hearing Carry-Over (HCO) is the ideal solution for you if you want to listen and type on your phone calls.  This service is designed for people with speech disabilities.

You type on your text telephone/teletypewriter (TTY) and the Communications Assistant reads your words aloud to the other party.

This relay service is available in English-to-English and Spanish-to-Spanish.

How Does HCO Relay Work?

It’s a snap!

Just dial 711 (or 800-366-6888) on your text telephone/teletypewriter (TTY) or VCO phone and the Communications Assistant will answer, “Relay North Dakota”.

Type in the area code and telephone number you wish to call and type “GA” (Go Ahead). The Communications Assistant will dial the number and connect to the other party.

  • 1

    Type your message on your TTY or VCO phone to the Communications Assistant.  Remember to type “GA” (Go Ahead) at the end of each message. The “GA” indicates that it is the other party’s turn to respond.

  • 2

    The Communications Assistant reads your typed message aloud to the other party.

  • 3

    The other party listens and speaks directly to you. The other party says “Go Ahead” to indicate that it is your turn to respond. 

Other HCO Features

Communications Assistants  specialize in the different types of HCO calls listed here. Please specify the HCO call type you would like to use to the Communications Assistant.

HCO to TTY

You, the HCO user, listen while the Communications Assistant reads aloud the TTY user’s typed words.  You type directly to the TTY user.

HCO to Voice Carry-Over

The HCO-VCO relay service is not available. However, the VCO user and HCO user could simply call each other directly on their own TTY’s.

The HCO user would type directly to the VCO user and the VCO user would talk to the HCO user.

HCO to HCO

The Communications Assistant reads aloud both of the HCO users’ typed words.

Relay North Dakota Customer Profile

The Relay North Dakota Customer Profile allows consumers to list their preferences for calls, such as:

  • Frequently dialed numbers
  • Emergency numbers
  • Preferred gender of operator
  • Announcing relay service

As a consumer, you have flexibility in updating your preferences at any time. Click here to learn how to set up your Customer Profile.