Making a cellphone easy to use with a hearing aid is devilishly hard. Both devices are packed with so many chips and other digital electronics that electromagnetic interference causing feedback, static and distortion is bound to occur in one or both devices. Last week, the cellphone/hearing-aid industry coalition that is racing to meet Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requirements for hearing-aid compatibility issued a good-news, bad-news update. According to a news release from the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions, its Hearing Aid Compatibility (HAC) group "has performed extensive work and believes that wireless manufacturers generally will meet the regulatory requirements defined by the FCC...." (Good news). "However, the wireless industry has recently documented several challenges to achieving FCC-required HAC compatibility measurements for GSM handset devices operating in the 850 MHz frequency band. This reported challenge appears to be industry-wide." (Bad news). The upshot is that while most new cellphones will work with hearing aids, as mandated by the U.S. government, some apparently will not. Like reputable hearing-aid vendors, many cellphone manufacturers offer 30-day "try-before-you-buy" trials of their products. If you're buying a cellphone, taking advantage of this trial period, even if it's a hassle, is a must. Because for the time being, the watchword for hearing-impaired cellphone consumers must remain "buyer beware."
Posted by David at 04:17 PM on May 22, 2005 in INDUSTRY NEWS, ISSUES & ADVOCACY
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I used an LG cell phone and had no problem w/hearing aid interference. Then I went totally cellular (got rid of my land line) and got a Motorola model cell phone. Huge mistake. The static is intolerable. In order to use it, I either had to use a blue tooth or take out my aid. After 6 months of the inconvenience and aggravation I finally broke down and got a land line back. Next time I will certainly use the 30 day trial period. I learned the hard way.
