“This page is a digitally archived AccessInfo Announcement”

Revised Comment Deadline: January 28, 2016
Revised Reply Comment Deadline: February 12, 2016

The FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau issued a Public Notice extending the due dates for filing comments and reply comments on a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) regarding the proposed benchmark requirements for making wireless phones compatible with hearing aids.

On November 20, 2015, the FCC released a Report and Order and NPRM expanding the FCC’s rules requiring wireless phones to be hearing aid compatible. The NPRM seeks comment on a consensus plan by industry and consumer stakeholders that would require a greater number of wireless handsets to be hearing aid compatible over time, with an ultimate goal of 100 percent compatibility in 8 years.  This would replace the current hearing aid compatibility rules, which require service providers and handset manufacturers to ensure that a specified fraction of their offerings are hearing aid compliant.

Although the new deadline for submitting initial comments has passed, the new deadline for submitting reply comments is February 12, 2016.

Public Notice:
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PDF

Report and Order, and NPRM:
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PDF

Updated:
Thursday, September 29, 2016