WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission late Thursday granted Cingular Wireless L.L.C.’s waiver of the hearing-aid-compatibility rules, delaying for nearly a year hearing-aid compatible GSM handsets that work in the 850 MHz band and dual-band handsets that work in both the 850 MHz and 1900 MHz bands.
T-Mobile USA Inc., the other nationwide GSM carrier, also has asked for a similar waiver, and the FCC said it could take advantage of Cingular’s waiver as long as it agreed to the stringent reporting requirements that the commission imposed on Cingular.
The FCC did not grant Cingular’s waiver from the rule that requires it to offer four hearing-aid- compatible GSM handsets by Sept. 16, but did say those handsets had to be hearing-aid compatible only in the 1900 MHz band.
“We believe the current technical standard for HAC-compliance doesn’t accurately reflect the user experience with GSM 850 MHz phones at this time. We are working with standards bodies to address this issue,” said Brian Fontes, Cingular vice president of federal affairs. “We are currently reviewing the FCC’s order but, based on what we’ve seen, we think it’s a good decision given the technical issues that exist.
“We also appreciate the hard work and the cooperation we have received from all the stakeholders involved. We’d also like to reiterate that the best way for a consumer with a hearing aid to determine whether a phone will work for him or her is through real-life experience. We will do our best to accommodate customers who want to try different phones for hearing-aid compatibility. For some time now, we’ve given all customers a 30-day grace period. They can cancel with no penalty and get a refund on their phone.”
Hearing-aid-compatible GSM handsets now must be available for the 850 MHz band by Aug. 1, 2006. FCC Commissioner Michael Copps said he expects “complete resolution by the firm deadline” of Aug. 1, noting that he agreed to the waiver only after being convinced that a solution currently is technologically impossible.
In the meantime, Cingular must file detailed reports about its progress toward bringing hearing-aid-compatible GSM phones to market, including a report due Feb. 1.
Advocates for those who need hearing aids did not oppose Cingular’s request.
Self Help for Hard of Hearing People estimated about 28 million people have some hearing loss. Most of those with hearing loss could be treated successfully with hearing aids, but SHHH said only 6.35 million of the 28 million affected people currently use hearing aids.
