In response to comments filed with the FCC by HIA and a group of consumer advocate groups including Hearing Loss Assn of America (HLAA) and Alexander Graham Bell Assn for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (AG Bell), urging that hearing compatibility (HAC) requirements be applied to new telephone technologies, the Consumer Electronics Retailers Coalition (CERC) and the Cellular Telephone Industries Assn (CTIA) have submitted reply comments opposing any curtailment of previous exemptions and waivers. They also opposed any in-store testing mandate for cell phones sold in retail stores and would thus force hearing aid users to shop only at cell phone company stores if they want to try a phone with their hearing aid. Several satellite service providers also opposed HAC requirements for mobile satellite telephones, even though AT&T recently started marketing satphones to consumers. CTIA and CERC both referred directly in their FCC comments to HIA's comments to FCC of October 25. Contact Andy Bopp with any questions.
