Understanding Mobile Phone Compatibility with Hearing Aids: FCC Requirements

Understanding Mobile Phone Compatibility with Hearing Aids

If you use a hearing aid or cochlear implant, you may have heard about hearing aid compatibility (HAC) in mobile phones. The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) has rules in place to ensure that phones are designed to work well with hearing aids and other assistive devices, making it easier for you to use your phone. In 2019, the FCC updated these rules to make sure that newer phone models continue to meet the needs of people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

1. Hearing Aid Compatibility (HAC) Ratings

Phones are rated based on how well they work with hearing aids, using two main ratings:

• M-rating: This tells you how well the phone works with the microphone in your hearing aid.
• T-rating: This tells you how well the phone works with your hearing aid’s telecoil (a special feature that helps with sound quality during phone calls).

The ratings go from 1 to 4, with higher numbers meaning better compatibility:

• M1 to M4: How well the phone works with the microphone in your hearing aid.
• T1 to T4: How well the phone works with the telecoil in your hearing aid.

To be considered compatible, new phones must meet at least an M3/T3 rating. If a phone has a M4/T4 rating, that means it works even better with hearing aids.

2. What the Minimum Compatibility Standards Mean

Phones must meet the following minimum standards to be considered hearing aid compatible:

• M3 or higher for microphone compatibility.
• T3 or higher for telecoil compatibility.

This ensures that phones with these ratings will work well with most hearing aids. The higher the rating, the better the experience you’ll have when using the phone with your hearing aid.

Updated 2019 Standards
Devices tested under the 2019 ANSI Standard don’t show “M” or “T” ratings. Instead, they’ll simply be labeled as "Hearing Aid Compatible" (HAC) and will work at a M3/T3 rating level or better. The 2019 update also includes new tests to check the volume control capabilities of these devices.

Note on New Technologies
Phones and mobile devices with new technologies might not yet be tested for hearing aid compatibility. If that's the case, the device will include the following information:

This phone has been tested and rated for use with hearing aids for some of the wireless technologies that it uses. However, there may be some newer wireless technologies used in this phone that have not been tested yet for use with hearing aids. It is important to try the different features of this phone thoroughly and in different locations, using your hearing aid or cochlear implant, to determine if you hear any interfering noise. Consult your service provider about its return and exchange policies and for information on hearing aid compatibility.

3. Blue Ridge Mobile Hearing-Aid Compatible Phones

Below is a list of Blue Ridge Mobile’s phones that are compatible with hearing aids. These phones either meet the FCC’s 2011 M-rating and T-rating standards, or they are compatible with the updated 2019 standards, ensuring they work well with hearing aids.

Learn more about mobile accessibility from GARI.