FCC: All smartphones must have hearing aid compatibility

Addressing the disparities in assistive device access among the 48 million Americans with hearing loss, the FCC has ruled that all "mobile handsets" (read: smartphones) must be compatible with hearing aids.

"Americans with hearing loss will no longer be limited in their choice of technologies, features, and prices available in the mobile handset marketplace," wrote the FCC.

The rule was announced on Oct. 17 following years of deliberation by the organization's Hearing Aid Compatibility Task Force, established after the FCC's 2016 mandate on improve hearing aid compatibility. It also includes new requirements for Bluetooth coupling (a common connection option for modern hearing aids), intended to prevent manufacturers from establishing proprietary standards that limit connection options.

Devices that meet the current FCC standards must be simply labelled as "hearing aid-compatible," and are rated according to two modes of connection on a scale of one to four. The "M" rating refers to hearing aids in acoustic mode, a setting that amplifies all signals and reduces ambient noise, with devices rated based on ability to reduce interference. The "T" rating refers to "inductive coupling mode," which uses only audio signal-based magnetic fields to make sounds, with devices containing an internal telecoil that generates signals. Devices have to rate as "M3" and "T3" or higher to be approved.

Under revised rules, devices will have the same labeling but additional information on Bluetooth and telecoil requirements, as well as volume limit controls.

In September, the FDA approved the first over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aid software, designed by Apple to turn its Airpods Pro 2 into assistive amplification devices for users with mild to moderate hearing loss. The organization had previously approved OTC hearing aid sales in 2022 — a historic precedent that expanded user access in a previously expensive market.