Digital Wireless Phones to be Hearing Aid Compatible under FCC Ruling
In July the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a report and
order that requires digital wireless telephones to be accessible to
people who
use hearing aids.  Under the new rule, manufacturers and service
providers
will be required to make available products that are compatible with
hearing
aids.  Although the agency agreed on the principles of the new rule, it
has
not yet issued a final order.

Digital technologies have posed significant compatibility challenges to
the
users of hearing aids and cochlear implants.  Unlike analog wireless
phones, digital wireless phones can emit interference caused by radio
frequency from the antenna and magnetic interference from the battery
leads
and other electronic components.  The FCC ruling directs wireless phone

manufacturers and service providers to take steps to reduce the amount
of
interference caused by handsets. They also require the provision of
digital
wireless phones that are capable of coupling with hearing aids and
cochlear
implants equipped with telecoils.Â

Since 1989 most telephones manufactured or imported for use in the
United
States are required to be hearing aid compatible under the Hearing Aid
Compatibility Act.  The Act had exempted wireless phones but also
directed
the FCC to periodically assess whether the exception should be revoked
or
modified in light of technological advancements and consumer need.  The

recent FCC action revises the exemption for digital wireless phones and
specifies new hearing aid compatibility requirements, including
technical
criteria based on standards established by the American National
Standards
Institute (ANSI).  The FCC also urged hearing aid manufacturers to
label
their products with ratings in accordance with the ANSI standard to help

consumers assess the compatibility of hearing aids with digital wireless

phones.  Additional information is available on the FCC's website at
http://ftp.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/accessiblewireless.html.