FCC Approves ATIS Hearing Aid Compatibility Rules
March 17, 2008 // Published as a news service by IHS
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The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted cell phone hearing aid compatibility rules proposed in a joint consensus plan submitted by the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) Hearing Aid Compatibility (HAC) Incubator.
The ATIS HAC submitted the joint consensus plan in response to the FCC's November 2006 Public Notice proposing changes to rules first adopted in 2003 by the FCC Report and Order in WT 01-309.
The FCC's First Report and Order released in February adjusted these rules to reflect new requirements and modified deadlines for manufacturers and service providers to make available a certain number of new models that are hearing aid compatible.
The new rules proposed by the HAC Incubator's Joint Consensus Plan and adopted by the FCC require that wireless manufacturers meet technical standards for radio frequency (RF) interference reduction on one-third of the new handset models they offer.
Consistent with the joint consensus plan's recommendations, wireless service providers must meet the RF interference reduction standard either on a minimum of eight hearing aid compatible handset models in 2008 (increasing to 10 by 2010) or on 50% of the handset models they offer to consumers.
A copy of the FCC First Report and Order in WT Docket No. 07-250 is available at the ATIS web site.
The ATIS HAC is a work group consisting of representatives of wireless service providers, wireless manufacturers and advocates for consumers with hearing loss.
Source: Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS).