FCC Approves Hearing Aid Compatibility Rules Proposed by ATIS' Joint Consensus Plan

March 5, 2008, Washington, DC- ATIS announced today that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted cell phone hearing aid compatibility rules proposed in a Joint Consensus Plan submitted by the ATIS Hearing Aid Compatibility (HAC) Incubator, a work group consisting of representatives of the leading wireless service providers, wireless manufacturers and advocates for consumers with hearing loss.

The FCC praised the Joint Consensus Plan process, a collaborative and consensus-driven effort organized through the ATIS HAC, stating, “The broad support for the Plan among both industry and consumer advocacy groups, as reflected in the record of this proceeding, testifies to the success of the proffered proposals in meeting the goals of the Hearing Aid Compatibility Act, and in addressing the concerns of manufacturers and service providers while still advancing the interests of consumers with hearing loss in having greater access to advanced digital wireless communications.”

“The FCC’s adoption of the Joint Consensus Plan is evidence that the ATIS process and our commitment to collaboration can accomplish the shared objectives of our wireless members and the hearing impaired community,” said Susan Miller, ATIS President and CEO.

FCC Commissioner Michael J. Copps stated, “This example of partnership among diverse stakeholders – as well as the private and public sector – is a valuable and important model that I hope the Commission can encourage and replicate in other areas of its responsibility.”

ATIS HAC submitted the Joint Consensus Plan in June 2007 in response to the FCC’s November 2006 Public Notice proposing changes to rules first adopted in 2003 by the FCC Report & Order in WT 01-309. The FCC’s First Report and Order (Order) released on February 28, 2008 adjusted these rules to reflect new requirements and modified deadlines for manufacturers and service providers to make available a certain number of new models that are hearing aid compatible. The new rules proposed by the HAC Incubator’s Joint Consensus Plan and adopted by the FCC require that wireless manufacturers meet technical standards for Radio Frequency (RF) interference reduction on one-third of the new handset models they offer. Consistent with the Joint Consensus Plan’s recommendations, wireless service providers must meet the RF interference reduction standard either on a minimum of eight hearing aid compatible handset models in 2008 (increasing to 10 by 2010) or on fifty percent of the handset models they offer to consumers.

A copy of the FCC First Report and Order in WT Docket No. 07-250, issued on February 26, 2008, is available at: http://www.atis.org/legal/Docs/Recent_Dev/FCC-08-68A1%20-%201st%20Report%20and%20Order%20HAC%202-28-08.pdf .

About the ATIS Hearing Aid Compatibility (HAC) Incubator

The ATIS HAC Incubator works to identify and address key technical issues related to the advancement of the ANSI C63.19 Standard and achieving a broad range of hearing aid compatible wireless devices as required by the FCC. For more information on the ATIS HAC Incubator’s activities, visit the ATIS Web site at http://www.atis.org/hac/

About ATIS

ATIS is a leading standards development and technical planning organization committed to rapidly developing and promoting technical and operations standards for the communications and related information technologies industry worldwide using a pragmatic, flexible and open approach. Participants from more than 300 communications companies are active in ATIS’ 22 industry committees, Incubator Solutions Program, and other activities. For more information about ATIS, please visit www.atis.org.