The FCC will soon require all hearing aids and phones to work together

The FCC will soon require all hearing aids and phones to work together

After a transition period, all phones will be required to work with hearing
aids - and vice versa.

On Thursday, the FCC approved new regulations requiring all phone makers to
make their handsets compatible with hearing aids. With the number of
Americans 65 and older expected to balloon by nearly 50 percent by 2050,
the rules will ensure those with hearing loss don't have to worry about
which phones will work with their hearing aids.

"Under the new rules, after a transition period, Americans with hearing
loss will no longer be limited in their choice of technologies, features,
and prices available in the mobile handset marketplace," the FCC wrote in a
press release.

On the flip side, the FCC also passed a requirement for hearing aid makers
that effectively bans proprietary Bluetooth coupling standards in the
assistive devices. So, phones must be compatible with hearing aids - and
vice versa. The rule even applies to the recently approved over-the-counter
hearing aids, which now include AirPods Pro 2.

Other changes include requiring all new mobile handsets sold in the US to
let users raise the volume without introducing distortion. In addition, the
FCC now mandates that cell phones' point-of-sale labels clarify hearing aid
compatibility and whether the handsets meet Bluetooth or telecoil coupling
requirements.











https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/the-fcc-will-soon-require-all-hearing-aids-and-phones-to-work-together-190003074.html