The regulations in the telecommunications act claim that carriers must offer a specific number of handset models that follow compatibility standards with hearing aids. There are two modes of hearing aids that handset models must be compatible with: M3 compatibility and T3 compatibility. 

The Standards and Violations the FCC Evaluated


The FCC filed a \$819,000 USD forfeiture order against T-Mobile after finding that they failed to provide the minimum number of hearing aid compatible handset models during the time period of November 2009 and December 2010.

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47 U.S.C. § 610. This legislation requires that the FCC enforces all telephones to be compatible with hearing aids and cochlear implants in the sense that there is a minimum of unwanted noise. 

The Hearing Aid and Compatibility Act (1988)

T-Mobile Fined \$819,000 for Hearing Aid Compatibility Violations. (2018, October 11). Retrieved from https://www.fcc.gov/document/t-mobile-fined-819000-hearing-aid-compatibility-violations

T-Mobile Fined for Hearing Aid Compatibility Violations

All phones need to be compatible with magnetic coils (telecoils and T-coils) which are found in hearing aids. Not accommodating these creates excess noise that interferes with clarity. There must also be volume controls that fall between the set limits

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