Health and Safety Information 12FCC Hearing AidCompatibility (HAC)Regulations for WirelessDevicesThe U.S. Federal Communications Commission(FCC) has established requirements for digitalwireless mobile devices to be compatible withhearing aids and other assistive hearingdevices.When individuals employing some assistivehearing devices (hearing aids and cochlearimplants) use wireless mobile devices, theymay detect a buzzing, humming, or whiningnoise. Some hearing devices are moreimmune than others to this interference noise,and mobile devices also vary in the amount ofinterference they generate.The wireless telephone industry has developeda rating system for wireless mobile devices toassist hearing device users find mobiledevices that may be compatible with theirhearing devices. Not all mobile devices havebeen rated. Mobile devices that are rated havethe rating on their box or a label located on thebox.The ratings are not guarantees. Results willvary depending on the user's hearing deviceand hearing loss. If your hearing devicehappens to be vulnerable to interference, youmay not be able to use a rated mobile devicesuccessfully. Trying out the mobile device withyour hearing device is the best way to evaluateit for your personal needs.
