Hearing Aid Compatibility (HAC)

January 7, 2013—The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Enforcement Bureau released an Enforcement Advisory to remind all wireless service providers to review and report on compliance with the hearing aid compatibility (HAC) rules. HAC rules require that wireless service providers offer a minimum number of hearing aid-compatible handsets and provide information about such handsets in periodic reports and on their websites.

January 3, 2013—The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Wireless Telecommunications Bureau extended the comment filing deadline regarding the 2010 Review of the Hearing Aid Compatibility (HAC) Regulations. The call for comments was originally made on November 27, 2012 in which the Bureau sought public input on the effectiveness of FCC rules on HAC of wireless handsets, with specific regards to how technological advances have affected HAC.

November 1, 2012—The Wireless Telecommunications Bureau is seeking public input on the effectiveness of Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules regarding hearing aid compatibility (HAC) of wireless handsets. The Bureau previously released a 2010 Review PN that addressed the compatibility and accessibility of various wireless phones to people with hearing aids and cochlear implants. However, there have been technological advances since the 2010 Review PN and in this new Public Notice (PN), the Bureau is interested in how these advances have affected HAC.

September 28, 2012 –   In September a consent decree was entered into by the Enforcement Bureau of the Federal Communications Commission, HTC America, Inc., a subsidiary of HTC Corporation, and HTC Corporation. The Consent Decree [DA 12-1381] ends the Enforcement Bureau’s investigation of HTC’s possible violations of Sections 20.19(c)(1) and 20.19(d)(1) of the Commission’s rules related to hearing aid-compatible handsets.