July 10, 2003 3:43 p.m. ET
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Mobile phone makers will gradually be required to make at least some of their phones more compatible with hearing aids, the Federal Communications Commission said Thursday.
By February 2008, half of the digital cell phones offered by a carrier or manufacturer will be required to emit less of the radio frequencies that interfere with hearing aids. February 2008 is also the date when carriers can stop offering analog cell phone service, which generally doesn't interfere with hearing aids.
Digital phones, which now constitute the majority of phones sold, are currently exempt from hearing aid compatibility standards.
"As the technology and the marketplace have matured, it has become increasingly clear that the exemption is no longer a tenable course," FCC Chairman Michael Powell said during an FCC meeting.
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Jul 11, 2003, 07:43 AM
