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The FCC will soon require all hearing aids and phones to work together

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Engadget: The FCC will soon require all hearing aids and phones to work together6

On Thursday, the FCC approved7 new regulations requiring all phone makers to make their handsets compatible with hearing aids1. With the number of Americans 65 and older expected to balloon by nearly 50 percent by 2050, the rules will ensure those with hearing loss don’t have to worry about which phones will work with their hearing aids.

“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 handset marketplace,” the FCC wrote in a press release.

On the flip side, the FCC also passed a requirement for hearing aid makers that effectively bans proprietary Bluetooth coupling standards in the assistive devices. So, phones must be compatible with hearing aids — and vice versa. The rule even applies to the recently approved over-the-counter hearing aids3, which now include AirPods Pro 23.

Other changes include requiring all new mobile handsets sold in the US to let users raise the volume without introducing distortion. In addition, the FCC now mandates that cell phones’ point-of-sale labels clarify hearing aid compatibility and whether the handsets meet Bluetooth or coupling requirements.

The FCC worked with a consortium of cell carriers, phone makers and researchers to draft and adopt the rules. “Establishing a 100% hearing aid compatibility requirement for all mobile handsets was made possible by the collaborative efforts of members of the Hearing Aid Compatibility Task Force — an independent organization of wireless service providers, handset manufacturers, research institutions and advocates for those with hearing loss,” the Commission wrote. “Members of the Task Force worked together over a period of years to reach a consensus on how the Commission could achieve its objective of requiring 100% of all mobile handsets to be hearing aid compatible.”

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@Stuart_WA5US said:

On the flip side, the FCC also passed a requirement for hearing aid makers that effectively bans proprietary Bluetooth coupling standards in the assistive devices

Interesting to see how that’s worded in terms of Roger devices and other bespoke accessories too.

Edited

I see that @d_Wooluf brought up the prospective FCC rule-making back in December 2023, and now it’s come to pass. FCC (USA) deliberations on hearing aid compatibility in phones

There was an article in February 2024 in Hearing Review that mentioned the “new” Bluetooth technology, which would be required after a transition period, would be and . But the Hearing Review editor thought the emphasis on smartphones left a good segment of the population out that didn’t use smartphones, etc.: Making All Phones Hearing Aid Compatible | The Hearing Review2.

But the FCC text “all mobile handsets” sounds pretty inclusive, so they’ll have to find a way to provide Auracast control on flip phones, etc.

Twenty-seven percent of the U.S. still uses a landline, traditional or VOIP (57% of the 27% if VOIP). Data Reveals Landline Phone Decline Statistics - Chamber Of Commerce1

Perhaps the FCC thinks eventually everyone will use a cell phone, so they don’t need to standardize or have -compatibility for landlilnes?

If it holds up, the best part of the FCC rule-making means Apple has to switch to BT LE Audio, for sure.

I have always wanted a standard system in computers, cell phones, and the like. Yes you can have different Operating Systems just have standard equipment that they run on.
We need to standard the connectivity of the aids to all communication devices, phones, computers tablets, even dedicated music players and audiobook devices. Even doing that it leaves so much room for creativity. And it shouldn’t be just hearing aids it should be earbuds, and headphones too.

I’ve read the press release but haven’t plowed through the whole document. The requirement for phones has a 2 year transition period, so not required until 2026. Is there a requirement for hearing aids to be Bluetooth compliant? If so, how long is the transition period. A link to text or a quote would be appreciated.

This seems to be a requirement for phones (handsets). Do you see anything that requires standards for hearing aids?

While that’s a good move, I (and I suspect a lot of others) have a bigger issue with phones that sign exclusivity contracts with Apple or Android. I’m not switching phones for a pair of hearing aids, and I’ve had to skip certain models because they’re iPhone only. After years of hand-free, I’m not going back to an external mic or dongle. I wish they’d address that issue.

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