ATIS Releases Multiband General Principles for Hearing Aid Compatibility
October 21, 2008 // Published as a news service by IHS
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The Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) Hearing Aid Compatibility (HAC) Incubator released a set of multiband general principles to address hearing aid compatibility of handsets operating over multiple frequency bands and/or modes for which no technical HAC standard exists.
The ATIS HAC Incubator includes representatives of wireless service providers, wireless manufacturers and advocates for consumers with hearing loss.
Development and submission of these multiband general principles to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) fulfills the commitment of the wireless industry and the advocates representing consumers with hearing loss to develop a consensus plan regarding multiband and multimode handsets, according to ATIS.
In March 2008, the FCC adopted cell phone hearing aid compatibility rules proposed in the incubator's joint consensus plan.
At that time, the FCC left open the issue of whether, or to what extent, multimode handsets should be counted as hearing-aid compatible if they operate in part over frequency bands or air interfaces for which technical standards were not established and asked the ATIS HAC Incubator to address this matter.
The multiband general principles proposed by the ATIS HAC Incubator outline the recommendations of stakeholders for dealing with the multiband and multimode devices. The incubator urges the FCC to consider adopting these principles as it modifies the current HAC rules, said ATIS.
In addition to the multiband general principles, consumer and industry representatives achieved consensus on new labeling language to help consumers make informed choices on handsets operating in frequency bands and/or modes for which no HAC standard exists, said ATIS. This language would be conveyed in writing to consumers at the point of sale, in the form of an insert or text in manuals and through company web sites.
The multiband general principles are available at the ATIS web site.
Source: Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS).