On Thursday, the FCC approved new regulations requiring all phone makers to make their handsets compatible with hearing aids, as the number of Americans 65 and older is expected to balloon by nearly 50 percent by 2050. This rule will ensure that those with hearing loss do not have to worry about which phones will work with their hearing aids. The FCC also passed a requirement for hearing aid makers that effectively bans proprietary Bluetooth coupling standards, making phones must be compatible with hearing aids – and vice versa. The rule even extends to over-the-counter hearing aids, including AirPods Pro 2. Other changes include requiring new mobile handsets sold in the US to allow users to raise the volume without distortion and mandate that cell phones’ labels clarify hearing aid compatibility. The FCC collaborated with cell carriers, phone makers, and researchers to draft and adopt the rules, ultimately achieving a 100% hearing aid compatibility requirement for all mobile handsets. Members of the Hearing Aid Compatibility Task Force worked together to reach a consensus on this objective.
