The Federal Communications Commission has imposed new rules requiring that 100% of all mobile handsets be compatible with hearing aids.
The Federal Communications Commission proposed a new bill on 14th December 2023 requiring all mobile phone devices to provide 100% hearing aid compatibility. The FCC issued a public notice yesterday confirming imposing the new rule for all mobile devices in the USA. According to the new rule, all wireless mobile handsets meet the 2019 ANSI standard and receive a HAC (Hearing Aid Compatible) label to get sale licenses.
With the new rule in place, over 48 million Americans with hearing loss or impairment can choose the same devices available to the remaining consumers. Under the new rule, after a transition period provided to wireless mobile and Bluetooth device manufacturers, every US citizen will have an expanded choice of technologies, features, and prices available in the mobile handset marketplace.
Bluetooth devices also fall under the radar for HAC labelling to benefit consumers by ensuring universal connectivity between mobile handsets and hearing aids. This includes over-the-counter hearing aids, shiting manufacturers away from their proprietary Bluetooth coupling standards.
The FCC’s rule and order also impose new volume control benchmarks that allow the listener to increase the mobile handset’s audio volume without experiencing distortion. This mandate helps wireless mobile users with hearing loss who do not use a hearing aid as well as those who rely on hearing aids or cochlear implants.
The HAC benchmark compliances also require mobile brands in the US to facilitate informed purchase decisions for consumers with hearing loss. To implement this, a new labelling system is being introduced across point-of-sale labels and website posting requirements indicating whether the device is certified as compatible with hearing aids. The compatibility benchmarks include the handset meeting telecoil, Bluetooth coupling, and conversational gain (How high a handset’s audio volume can be raised while meeting volume control requirements).
FCC’s remarkable move comes after thorough research and consumer pattern insights captured by the Hearing Aid Compatibility Task Force, an independent organization run by wireless service providers, handset manufacturers, research institutions and advocates for those with hearing loss.
