FCC Provides
Partial Exemption for GSM Handsets
Editor: It
appears that the wireless phone industry is making pretty good progress
towards meeting the hearing aid compatibility rules that go into effect
on September 16. The only issue I know about is ensuring compatibility
for the GSM air interface in the 850 MHz cellular band.
The FCC has
granted an exemption for that technology in that frequency band until
August of 2006. Here's the press release from the FCC.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WASHINGTON,
D.C. - In a Memorandum Opinion and Order (Order) released today, the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) provided temporary, conditional
relief from certain hearing aid compatibility requirements for carriers
and manufacturers that offer dual-band digital wireless handsets that
use the GSM air interface in both the 850 MHz cellular and 1900 MHz
broadband PCS bands.
The FCC's
hearing aid compatibility rules require that, by September 16, 2005,
wireless handset manufacturers must offer to carriers - and that
wireless carriers and service providers must offer to their customers -
at least two hearing aid-compatible handsets per air interface.
In addition, nationwide (Tier I) wireless carriers must offer,
per air interface, four hearing aid-compatible digital wireless handset
models, or 25% of the total number of digital wireless handset models
offered by the carrier nationwide must be hearing aid compatible, by
September 16, 2005.
In August
2005, the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS)
Hearing Aid Compatibility Incubator Working Group 9, a technical group
that focuses on hearing aid compatibility in wireless GSM handsets and
includes representatives from the wireless industry, as well as the
hearing aid industry and hearing disabled community, asked the FCC to
temporarily base the hearing aid compatibility compliance rating of
dual-band GSM handsets on their operation in the 1900 MHz band only,
rather than on their operation in both the 850 MHz and 1900 MHz bands. In addition, Cingular Wireless LLC (Cingular), a nationwide
wireless carrier that exclusively offers dual-band GSM handsets that
operate in the 850 MHz and 1900 MHz frequency bands, requested a waiver
of Commission's requirement that nationwide carriers offer at least four
hearing aid-compatible digital wireless handsets to consumers by
September 16, 2005. ATIS
and Cingular indicated that hearing aid compatibility in the 850 MHz
band is currently technologically infeasible.
In today's
Order, the FCC, pursuant to its waiver authority, adopted Working Group
9's recommendation and ruled that, until August 1, 2006, it will base
the hearing aid compatibility compliance rating of dual-mode GSM
handsets on their operation in the 1900 MHz band only.
This action applies to all handset manufacturers, wireless
carriers and service providers that offer dual-band GSM handsets that
operate in both the 850 MHz and 1900 MHz bands.
In adopting Working Group 9's recommendation, the FCC also
granted, in part and with conditions, Cingular's request for waiver of
the FCC's hearing aid compatibility rules.
In
addition, the FCC imposed conditions on Cingular and any other entity
that elects to take advantage of the relief provided in today's Order.
Such entities must take the following actions:
- Notify
the FCC of their decision to avail themselves of the relief provided in
today's Order in their hearing aid compatibility compliance reports due
November 17, 2005.
- Provide
detailed information on the status of their efforts to provide dual-band
handsets that will be hearing aid-compatible in the 850 MHz band as well
as the 1900 MHz band in both their November 17, 2005, and May 17, 2006,
hearing aid compatibility compliance reports.
- Ensure a
30-day trial period or otherwise adopt an acceptable, flexible return
policy for consumers seeking to obtain hearing aid-compatible GSM
handsets.
-
Take reasonable steps to make current technical and anecdotal
information available to the public regarding the hearing aid
compatibility of specific GSM handsets.
Cingular
must also file an additional report with the FCC by February 1, 2006,
that provides detailed information on the status of its efforts to offer
dual-band handsets that will be hearing aid-compatible in the 850 MHz
band as well as the 1900 MHz band.
Today's
action is consistent with the FCC's goal of bringing the benefits of
digital wireless telecommunications to the millions of Americans with
hearing loss.
Action by
the Commission on September 7, 2005, by Memorandum Opinion and Order
(FCC 05-166). Chairman Martin, Commissioners Abernathy, Copps, and
Adelstein. Attached is a
statement issued by Commissioner Copps.
For
additional information, contact Angela Giancarlo at (202) 418-0680 or
Angela.Giancarlo@fcc.gov, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau.
WT Docket
No. 01-309
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-260920A1.doc
- FCC -
