WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission today voted to require some digital mobile phones to be compatible with hearing aids under a phased-in approach calling for industry by early 2008 to make one-half of all handsets accessible to the nation’s 6 million individuals with hearing aids.
National wireless carriers will have to make at least two handset models or 25 percent of all handsets hearing-aid compatible within two years. Smaller carriers and vendors are subject to relaxed guidelines.
The FCC ruling is a major setback for the mobile-phone industry, which lobbied aggressively to avoid a federal mandate and preferred a market-based solution.
“Today’s FCC mandates will unnecessarily complicate this cooperation and constrain innovative solutions to meet this challenge,” said Thomas Wheeler, president of the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association.
Hearing-impaired consumers, which have been working with industry and federal regulators on the issue since the mid-1990s, have become increasingly frustrated with wireless firms and ultimately were convinced their needs would not be met without government intervention.
The FCC, with its 5-to-0 vote, came to the same conclusion.
“This is a classic case of market failure,” said FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein, a Democrat.
Reaction of disability advocates and hearing-aid suppliers was mixed.
“SHHH was aiming for a 100-percent hearing-aid compatibility requirement,” said Brenda Battat, director of public policy and state development at Self Help for Hard of Hearing People. “It’s a step in the right direction.”
The Hearing Industries Association, which represents hearing-aid manufacturers, agreed.
“I would have preferred that the new rules cover more handset models, but the hearing-aid industry is committed to improving the ability of users to function in all environments and will continue work toward that objective,” said Peter Tannenwald, counsel to HIA.
