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Hearing Aid Compatibility

About Hearing Aid Compatibility

The move of the wireless industry from analog to digital services has provided some issues of concern for wireless users with hearing disabilities.  Digital technology can mean an enhanced wireless experience, but some digital handset models can cause interference for hearing aid users.

To ensure accessibility for the deaf and hard of hearing to the use of digital wireless devices, the Federal Communications Commission ("FCC") made updates to the Hearing Aid Compatibility ("HAC") Act of 1988 to increase the number of HAC compliant wireless devices on the market.

HAC Rating System

The American National Standard Institute ("ANSI") has developed hearing aid compatibility rating standard C63.19 to provide assistance to hearing device users in finding the right digital wireless device to purchase.  Standard C63.19 provides a uniform method for measuring the radio frequency ("RF") immunity and telecoil coupling strength of hearing aids, as well as the RF emissions and telecoil coupling strength of wireless devices.  The measurements are converted to a microphone ("M") rating and a telecoil ("T") rating.  Customers can use the ratings to predict the compatibility of a particular digital wireless handset and a hearing aid. 

M-Ratings:  Wireless devices rated M3 or M4 meet FCC requirements and are likely to generate less interference to hearing devices that utilize a microphone for picking up sounds from the handset's speaker.  M4 is the higher of the two ratings.

T-Ratings:  Wireless devices rated T3 or T4 meet FCC requirements and are likely to be more usable with a hearing device's telecoil (a/k/a "T Switch" or "Telephone Switch") than unrated wireless devices.  T4 is the higher of the two ratings.  The advantage of a telecoil is that it removes extraneous noise that would otherwise be picked up by a microphone. 

Hearing Device Immunity

Hearing devices may also be measured for immunity to interference.  To learn if a digital wireless handset may interfere with a particular hearing aid, the immunity rating of the hearing aid is added to the rating of the digital handset.  A sum of four would indicate that the telephone is usable; a sum of five would indicate that the telephone would provide normal use; and a sum of six or greater would indicate that the telephone would provide excellent performance with that hearing aid.

Levels of Functionality

CWC is consistently looking for ways to offer a full line up of hearing aid compliant handsets.  In doing so, the company strives to ensure that its customers can choose from a diverse array of functions and capabilities that are similar to the non-HAC handsets the company sells, and that each compliant handset is reasonably priced.  The company does this by looking at available and soon-to-be-available handsets first to determine whether they are hearing aid compliant and what ANSI C3.19 standard they meet.  Once verified, the company also considers the types and combinations of features it already offers and how the new handset's features would complement the company's existing line of products and whether its customers will continue to demand those features in the future.  The company also considers the price of the handsets, taking into consideration the need of customers at all levels of income, with per handset pricing ranging from free to more than $500 per handset.

The levels are:  "Basic" which depicts devices with basic technology such as speakerphone and voicemail; "Moderate" which depticts devices with moderate levels of funchtionality such as SMS messaging, camera, and internet capability; and "Best" which depicts devices with higher levels of functionaity like Data/3G acces, camera & video, games, access to applications, and organizer functions.

Cordova Wireless has outlined all its HAC rated phones below.

MANUFACTURER	MODEL NUMBER	MODEL NAME	HAC T RATING	HAC M RATING	Functionality Level
ALCATEL	OT-888	ONE TOUCH	T3	M3	BEST
ALCATEL	OT-808A			M3	MODERATE
ALCATEL	OT-606A			M3	MODERATE
ALCATEL	OT-980	Y	T3	M3/M4	BEST
APPLE	IPHONE 5	IPHONE 5		M3	BEST
HUAWEI	U8150	IDEOS	T3	M3	BEST
LG	GW370		T3		MODERATE
MOTOROLA	510		T3	M3	BASIC
MOTOROLA	WX345	FINCH	T4	M3	BASIC
MOTOROLA	W270			M3	BASIC
MOTOROLA	V3I	RAZR	T3	M3	BEST
MOTOROLA	MB300	BACKFLIP		M3/M4	MODERATE
MOTOROLA	X910	RAZR 2		M3/M4	BEST
NOKIA	2720		T3	M3	BASIC
NOKIA	7020		T4	M3/M4	BASIC
NOKIA	2760		T3	M3/M4	MODERATE
PANTECH	C530	SLATE	T3	M3	MODERATE
SAMSUNG	GT-I9020T	NEXUS S		M3	BEST
VERYKOOL	R620C		T3		MODERATE
VERYKOOL	R23		T3	M3	BASIC
VERYKOOL	S757		T3	M3/M4	BEST

Wi-fi Capable Handset Discolsure for HAC Compatible Phones

Wherever CWC provides hearing aid compatability ratings for a handset model that incorporates a Wi-fi air interface, the consumer should note that the handset has not been rated for hearing aid compatibility with respect to Wi-fi operation.

* All pricing subject to change.