FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 5, 2007

New TIA Standard Will Improve Hearing Aid Compatibility with Digital Cordless Phones

Manufacturers Can Test Phones for Compatibility

Arlington, Va. - Users of hearing aids will soon find it easier to use digital cordless telephones because a new technical standard published by the Telecommunications Industry Association will help manufactures reduce interference and allow hearing aid users to determine which cordless phones will work best for them.

The standard approved recently by TIA will allow makers of digital cordless telephones to test their products for inductively generated noise that can interfere with some types of hearing aids. Standards are technical guidelines that create compatibilities for similar products made by different manufacturers.

"TIA believes that the more people who can access the telecom network, the more powerful and useful that network is for everybody," said TIA President Grant Seiffert. "As soon as TIA learned of the problem with interference between cordless phones and hearing aids, we engaged the help of the hearing loss community in order to take proactive steps to fix it. Those with hearing loss will soon be able to avoid the interference that was ruining their ability to use cordless phones."

In developing this standard, TIA received help from both Gallaudet University and the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA). "Development of the standard benefited greatly from subjective studies organized by Gallaudet researchers at the past two HLAA conventions," said Steve Whitesell, chair of the parent TIA TR-41 Engineering Committee responsible for the standard. Seiffert said while there is room to improve telecommunications compatibility with hearing aids, the standard is a "positive first step."

On March 21, TIA approved standard TIA-1083, a product of the TIA TR-41.3 standards subcommittee. This standard will give manufacturers of cordless telephones the ability to test their products for compatibility with most hearing aids that have a T-Coil magnetic coupling mode. With this testing, digital cordless phone manufacturers will be able to inform consumers about which products will work with their hearing aids.

 

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About TIA
The Telecommunications Industry Association is the leading trade association in Washington, D.C., for the information and communications technology (ICT) industry. TIA serves ICT suppliers to global markets through its leadership in standards development, domestic and international policy advocacy, and facilitating member business opportunities such as the co-owned NXTcomm. TIA represents the communications sector of the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA). For more information, go to www.tiaonline.org.