Hearing Aid Compatibility for Cell Phones, Part 2

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This is the second of a two-part series that we’ll post on Hearing Aid Compatibility for cell phones/ wireless Telephones. We begin with discussion, including a short video, of “inductive coupling.”

For Inductive Coupling
Each handset manufacturer must offer to service providers at least two T3-rated handset models per digital air interface. In addition, manufacturers must ensure that 20 percent of their handset models per air interface meet at least a T3 rating beginning February 15, 2009, 25 percent beginning February 15, 2010, and one third beginning February 15, 2011. If these percentages work out to a fraction, the manufacturer may round the result down; however, any manufacturer offering four or more handset models over a digital air interface must offer at least two that meet a T3 or higher rating.
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Hearing Aid Compatibility for Cell Phones, Part 1

This is the first of a two-part series that we’ll post on Hearing Aid Compatibility for cell phones/ wireless Telephones. We begin by providing its legislative background and then proceed to a broader discussion, including a short video, of what exactly makes a cell phone “hearing aid compatible.” Quite interesting.

Background
The Hearing Aid Compatibility Act of 1988 (HAC Act) generally requires that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ensure that telephones manufactured or imported for use in the United States after August 1989, and all “essential” telephones, are hearing aid-compatible. When Congress passed the Act in 1988, it specifically exempted “telephones used with public mobile services” (wireless telephones) from these requirements. To ensure that the HAC Act kept pace with the evolution of telecommunications, however, Congress granted the FCC a means to revoke or limit the exemption for wireless telephones. On August 14, 2003, the FCC determined that continuation of a complete exemption for wireless telephones would have an adverse effect on individuals with hearing disabilities, and that limiting the exemption was technologically feasible and in the public interest. Based upon these findings, the FCC established rules for the hearing aid compatibility of digital wireless phones.
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