407FCC Hearing Aid Compatibility (HAC)Regulations for Wireless DevicesThe U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has establishedrequirements for digital wireless mobile devices to be compatiblewith hearing aids and other assistive hearing devices.When individuals employing some assistive hearing devices (hearingaids and cochlear implants) use wireless mobile devices, they maydetect a buzzing, humming, or whining noise. Some hearing devicesare more immune than others to this interference noise, and mobiledevices also vary in the amount of interference they generate.The wireless telephone industry has developed a rating system forwireless mobile devices to assist hearing device users find mobiledevices that may be compatible with their hearing devices. Not allmobile devices have been rated. Mobile devices that are rated havethe rating on their box or a label located on the box.The ratings are not guarantees. Results will vary depending on theuser's hearing device and hearing loss. If your hearing devicehappens to be vulnerable to interference, you may not be able to usea rated mobile device successfully. Trying out the mobile device withyour hearing device is the best way to evaluate it for your personalneeds.M-Ratings: Wireless mobile devices rated M3 or M4 meet FCCrequirements and are likely to generate less interference to hearingdevices than mobile devices that are not labeled. M4 is the better/higher of the two ratings. M-ratings refer to enabling acousticcoupling with hearing aids that do not operate in telecoil mode.
