"This page is a digitally archived AccessInfo Announcement"
On November 22, 2023, FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel announced the tentative agenda for the December 2023 Open Meeting scheduled for 10:30 am EST on Wednesday, December 13, 2023. The meeting will be held in the Commission Meeting Room of the FCC, 45 L Street N.E., Washington, D.C. The FCC meeting is also online, and streamed live with open captioning at www.fcc.gov/live.
As part of the agenda, the Commission will consider a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that tentatively concludes that hearing aid compatibility (HAC) for 100% of wireless handset models is an achievable objective and seeks comment on proposals to implement this requirement. If this NPRM is adopted at the December 13 meeting, comment due dates will be announced when available.
What the 100% Wireless HAC NPRM would do:
- tentatively concludes that a 100% HAC requirement for wireless handset models offered in the United States is “achievable,” and seeks comment on adopting a broader definition of HAC that would include the use of Bluetooth connectivity technology between handset models and hearing aids.
- proposes to require a certain percentage of handset models to meet a Bluetooth requirement and seeks comment on whether to adopt the HAC Task Force’s suggestion that the FCC require all handset models to have at least two forms of coupling: 100% of handset models would be required to have acoustic coupling and 100% of handset models would be required to have either magnetic or wireless coupling (specifically, at least 85% would be required to have telecoil and at least 15% would be required to have Bluetooth).
- seeks comment on whether to incorporate a specific non-proprietary Bluetooth standard into the HAC rules or to allow market conditions to decide which Bluetooth technology is used for coupling handsets to hearing aids.
- explores ways to reach the 100% compatibility benchmark, including proposing a 24-month transition period for handset manufacturers; a 30-month transition period for nationwide service providers; and a 42-month transition period for non-nationwide service providers, and seeks comment on whether to continue to allow previously certified handset models to be grandfathered in order to meet the 100% benchmark or only handset models certified under the latest HAC certification standards.
- seeks comment on a number of implementation issues related to the 100% HAC proposal and updates to the HAC rules, including: (1) requirements for HAC settings in covered devices; (2) revised labeling and disclosure rules; (3) revised website, record retention requirements, and reporting requirements; (4) posting of company contact information for consumers; and (5) whether the HAC rule section should be renamed to better reflect what the section covers.
News Release with Open Meeting Agenda for December 13, 2023, Open Meeting:
URL: https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-announces-tentative-agenda-december-open-meeting-9
DRAFT 100% Wireless HAC NPRM:
URL: https://www.fcc.gov/document/achieving-100-wireless-handset-model-hearing-aid-compatibility
December 13, 2023 Meeting Webpage:
URL: https://www.fcc.gov/news-events/events/2023/12/december-2023-open-commission-meeting
Reasonable Accommodations: Open captioning will be provided for this meeting. Other reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities are available upon request. In your request, please include a description of the needed accommodation and how you may be reached if we need more information. E-mail your request to fcc504@fcc.gov or call (202) 418-0530.
For general information about wireless HAC rules, visit: https://www.fcc.gov/hearing-aid-compatibility-wireless-telephones. For specific questions about the 100% Wireless HAC NPRM, contact Eli Johnson, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, Competition & Infrastructure Policy Division, (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).