The FCC will soon require compatibility between headphones and phones.
The FCC approved new regulations that require all phone manufacturers to design their devices to be compatible with hearing aids. These regulations aim to ensure that people with hearing difficulties can use their phones without issues.
On Thursday, the FCC approved new regulations requiring all phone manufacturers to ensure their devices are compatible with hearing aids. With the expected increase in the number of Americans aged 65 and older—projected to grow nearly 50% by 2050—these rules ensure that people with hearing loss do not face challenges when choosing phones that work with their hearing aids. According to an FCC statement, "Under the new rules, after a transition period, Americans with hearing loss will no longer be limited in their choice of technologies, features, and prices available in the mobile phone market."
On the other hand, the FCC also established a requirement for hearing aid manufacturers that effectively prohibits proprietary Bluetooth coupling standards in these devices. This means that phones must be compatible with hearing aids and vice versa. This regulation also applies to newly approved over-the-counter hearing aids, which now include models like the AirPods Pro 2.
Additionally, changes were implemented mandating that all new mobile phones sold in the United States allow users to increase the volume without distortion. The FCC also requires that the sales labels of mobile phones clarify compatibility with hearing aids and whether the devices meet Bluetooth coupling or telecoil requirements.
The FCC worked with a variety of phone carriers, manufacturers, and researchers to draft and adopt these standards. "Establishing a 100% hearing aid compatibility requirement for all mobile phones was made possible thanks to the collaborative efforts of members of the Hearing Aid Compatibility Task Force, an independent organization of wireless service providers, device manufacturers, research institutions, and advocates for people with hearing loss," the Commission highlighted. "Members of the Task Force collaborated for several years to reach a consensus on how the Commission could achieve its goal of requiring that 100% of all mobile phones be compatible with hearing aids."
