Overview of the 2012 Hearing Aid Compatibility Index
The Federal Communications Commission Wireless Telecommunications Bureau released comprehensive handset compliance records under document identifier DOC-320326. The release catalogs hearing aid compatibility data filed by wireless service providers for the December 2012 filing window, documenting handset availability from January 1, 2012, through December 31, 2012.
The index compiles filings from nationwide, regional, and rural service providers, documenting commercial availability dates, technical interfaces, radio frequency bands, and performance ratings under the Commission's hearing aid compatibility rules.
- Document reference: DOC-320326 (Attachments DOC-320326A1 and DOC-320326A2)
- Filing period covered: January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2012
- Publishing entity: Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB)
- Public release date: April 22, 2013
Reported Handset Metrics and Standardized Fields
Participating service providers submitted standardized equipment reports detailing all digital wireless handsets offered to consumers during the 2012 calendar year. Each entry in the filing record includes identifiers and operational parameters necessary to verify compliance with accessibility benchmarks.
The submissions capture acoustic coupling performance through M-ratings and inductive coupling performance through T-ratings, establishing whether a handset meets minimum compatibility standards for consumers with hearing aids and cochlear implants.
- Service provider legal entity name
- Handset manufacturer and model trade name
- Starting and ending market availability dates (MM/YY format)
- Supported air interfaces (including CDMA, GSM, WCDMA, LTE, and Wi-Fi)
- Operating frequency bands (ranging from 700 MHz cellular allocations to 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands)
- Radio frequency interference (M-rating) and telecoil coupling (T-rating) scores
- Internal functionality level classifications (such as Basic, Feature, Smartphone, or PDA tiers)
Air Interfaces and Device Categorization
The compiled records encompass a broad spectrum of network technologies and form factors deployed across the United States and its territories. Reported models range from entry-level voice devices to multi-band LTE smartphones and rugged industrial terminals.
Service providers also documented device functionality tiers, categorizing handsets based on hardware features such as camera integration, data connectivity, operating system capability, physical key arrangements, and accessibility features.
- Multi-band CDMA2000 and 1xEV-DO handsets
- GSM, GPRS, EDGE, and UMTS/WCDMA equipment
- Early deployment 700 MHz and AWS LTE mobile devices
- Specialized iDEN push-to-talk and rugged commercial equipment
Public Record Access and Attachments
The FCC made the full dataset accessible to consumers, industry participants, and accessibility advocates through text, spreadsheet, and PDF formats to facilitate verification of hearing aid compatible handset availability.
The documentation is cataloged under document record 320326, with primary text indices provided in Attachment DOC-320326A1 and spreadsheet formats in Attachment DOC-320326A2.
- Attachment DOC-320326A1: Text and PDF compilation of service provider handset tables
- Attachment DOC-320326A2: Structured spreadsheet data for numerical and model analysis