On October 17, 2024, the FCC adopted a Report and Order (Order) amending the Commission’s rules to require all future wireless handset models offered for sale or use in the United States to be hearing aid-compatible after a transition period. The amended rules will allow Americans with hearing loss to choose among the same handset models available to consumers without hearing loss.
On November 13, 2024, a notice was published in the Federal Register establishing December 13, 2024, as the effective date for the Order, except for those rules requiring approval by the Office of Management and Budget. As a result, the requirement that all handset models offered for sale or use in the United States be hearing aid-compatible will apply as follows:
- After December 14, 2026, to handset manufacturers
- After June 14, 2027, to nationwide service providers
- After June 12, 2028, to non-nationwide service providers
Link to the 100% Hearing Aid Compatibility Report and Order:
https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-requires-all-mobile-phones-be-hearing-aid-compatible
Link to the Federal Register notice:
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/11/13/2024-25088/achieving-100-wireless-handset-model-hearing-aid-compatibility
For general information about hearing aid compatibility, visit: https://www.fcc.gov/hearing-aid-compatibility-and-volume-control. For further information, please contact Eli Johnson, Attorney Advisor and Special Counsel, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, Competition and Infrastructure Policy Division at (202) 418-1395 or Eli.Johnson@fcc.gov.
Individuals who use videophones and are fluent in American Sign Language (ASL) may call the FCC’s ASL Consumer Support Line at (844) 432-2275 (videophone).