“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.