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Soon!Cell phone makers must offer hearing aid
friendly handsets WASHINGTON (AP)
By DAVID HO
— Cell phone makers must soon offer handsets that work with hearing aids,
providing the growing number of people with hearing problems the benefits
of wireless communication, regulators said Thursday.
Many digital wireless phones can emit electromagnetic energy that
interferes with hearing aids and implants, turning amplified sounds into
static and squeals.
The Federal Communications Commission voted 5-0 to require that by
February 2008 half of the digital cell phones offered must emit lower
energy levels that do not cause interference.
"This action will result in members of the hearing disabled community
having dramatically increased access to digital wireless phones — access
that will improve their lives and promote their safety," Commissioner
Kathleen Abernathy said.
In the United States, about one in 10 people have some degree of hearing
loss, the FCC said. That proportion is expected to rise as the population
ages.
About 6 million people use hearing aids and more than 20,000 people have
cochlear implants, which send auditory signals to the brain to restore
hearing in people with certain types of hearing loss.
Hearing aids typically work with phones by either amplifying sound from a
microphone or using a device called a telecoil, which receives magnetic
fields directly from compatible telephones to produce clearer sound. About
a quarter of hearing aids use telecoils, which are usually intended for
people with severe hearing loss.
Federal rules require most telephones to be compatible with hearing aids,
but until now cell phones have been exempt.
Under the new rules, most manufacturers and cellular providers must offer
at least two handset models that emit reduced amounts of energy and won't
interfere with hearing aids within two years. Within three years, the
companies must offers two models with telecoils.
The 2008 deadline for half of all phones is the same as the expiration
date for a government requirement that wireless carriers provide analog
cellular service. Analog phones usually don't interfere with hearing aids.
The cell phone industry said the FCC decision does more harm than good.
"The wireless industry is committed to ensuring that our customers who
wear hearing aids are able to use wireless services, and we will work with
the hearing aid industry and consumer groups to achieve this goal," said
Tom Wheeler, president of the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet
Association. "Today's FCC mandates will unnecessarily complicate this
cooperation and constrain innovative solutions."
He said the new standard should apply to hearing aids and not just cell
phones.
Some cell phones already are compatible with hearing aids, but they are
not widely advertised and can be hard to find, said Brenda Battat, public
policy director for Self Help For Hard of Hearing People, a Bethesda,
Md.-based consumer group.
"It's like looking for a needle in a haystack," Battat said. She said the
new rules, which include a labeling requirement for compatible phones, are
a step forward.
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