The Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions’ (ATIS) Hearing Aid Compatibility (HAC) Task Force has submitted recommendations to the FCC on achieving 100 percent hearing aid compatibility. In preparing this plan, the Task Force conducted extensive research on available and evolving HAC technologies, consumer usage of such technologies, and the experience and behavior of hearing health care professionals.
The HAC Task Force recommends: (1) ensuring that current technology is supported while incorporating new wireless connectivity technologies, including Bluetooth, and accounting for intervening developments and innovations; (2) adopting a more flexible HAC definition; (3) considering industry adoption, ease-of-use, reliability, and consumer use and adoption in evaluating technical standards to meet the proposed HAC definition; (4) adjusting technical standards in the HAC rules; and (5) setting a 90-day clock for the resolution of petitions for waiver of HAC requirements.
