LG US780 - FCC Hearing-Aid Compatibility (HAC) Regulations for Wireless Devices

85
Safety
FCC Hearing-Aid Compatibility (HAC) Regulations
for Wireless Devices
OnJuly10,2003,theU.S.FederalCommunicationsCommission(FCC)
ReportandOrderinWTDocket01-309modiedtheexceptionofwireless
phonesundertheHearingAidCompatibilityActof1988(HACAct)to
requiredigitalwirelessphonesbecompatiblewithhearing-aids.Theintent
oftheHACActistoensurereasonableaccesstotelecommunications
servicesforpersonswithhearingdisabilities.
Whilesomewirelessphonesareusednearsomehearingdevices(hearing
aidsandcochlearimplants),usersmaydetectabuzzing,humming,or
whiningnoise.Somehearingdevicesaremoreimmunethanotherstothis
interferencenoise,andphonesalsovaryintheamountofinterferencethey
generate.
Thewirelesstelephoneindustryhasdevelopedaratingsystemfor
wirelessphones,toassisthearingdeviceuserstondphonesthatmay
becompatiblewiththeirhearingdevices.Notallphoneshavebeenrated.
Phonesthatareratedhavetheratingontheirboxoralabellocatedonthe
box.
Theratingsarenotguarantees.Resultswillvarydependingontheuser’s
hearingdeviceandhearingloss.Ifyourhearingdevicehappenstobe
vulnerabletointerference,youmaynotbeabletousearatedphone
successfully.Tryingoutthephonewithyourhearing
deviceisthebestway
toevaluateitforyourpersonalneeds.
M-Ratings:PhonesratedM3orM4meetFCCrequirementsandarelikely
togeneratelessinterferencetohearingdevicesthanphonesthatarenot
labeled.M4isthebetter/higherofthetworatings.
Hearingdevicesmayalsoberated.Yourhearingdevicemanufactureror
hearinghealthprofessionalmayhelpyoundthisrating.Higherratings
meanthatthehearingdeviceisrelativelyimmunetointerferencenoise.
Thehearingaidandwirelessphoneratingvaluesarethenaddedtogether.A
sumof5isconsideredacceptablefornormaluse.Asumof6isconsidered
forbestuse.