![](media/image1.png){width="0.65625in"
height="0.6666666666666666in"}**PUBLIC NOTICE**

**Federal Communications Commission**

**445 12th St., S.W.**

**Washington, D.C. 20554**

DA 08-2735

December 23, 2008

**THE WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS BUREAU REMINDS**

**MANUFACTURERS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS OF THEIR OBLIGATION**

**TO REPORT ON THE STATUS OF COMPLIANCE WITH THE COMMISSION'S**

**HEARING AID COMPATIBILITY REQUIREMENTS**

**Status Reports Are Due January 15, 2009 and**

**May Be Filed on FCC Form 655**

The Wireless Telecommunications Bureau ("Bureau") reminds manufacturers
and commercial mobile radio service (CMRS) providers of their obligation
to report on the status of compliance with the Commission's hearing aid
compatibility requirements.[^1] Status reports are due to be filed with
the Commission by January 15, 2009. Manufacturers and service providers
may, but are not required to, submit their reports on new FCC Form 655.
Whether or not they use FCC Form 655, parties must ensure that their
reports include all of the information required in Section 20.19(i) of
the Commission's rules.[^2]

In the *Hearing Aid Compatibility* *First Report and Order*,[^3] the
Commission established new timelines for the filing of hearing aid
compatibility status reports and delegated to the Bureau authority to
prescribe a template for the reports. Additionally, the Commission
adopted several new reporting content requirements. Specifically, the
Commission required, among other things, that: (1) manufacturers and
service providers include the dates on which they began and ended
offering specific models during the previous 12 months; (2)
manufacturers indicate if devices that they market under separate model
numbers constitute a single model for purposes of the hearing aid
compatibility rules; and (3) service providers include an explanation of
their methodology for dividing their hearing aid-compatible phones into
different levels of functionality.[^4] The Commission also clarified
that reports must be filed by all manufacturers and service providers,
even those that fall within the *de minimis* exception.[^5]

Pursuant to the Commission's delegation of authority, the Bureau has
promulgated FCC Form 655 for filers' optional use in submitting their
January 15, 2009 status reports. A copy of FCC Form 655 is attached to
this public notice. Use of FCC Form 655 will help filers ensure that
their reports include all of the required information and will
facilitate the Commission's compilation of data from the reports. Use of
FCC Form 655 is not required for the reports due January 15, 2009.
However, the Bureau reminds filers that hearing aid compatibility status
reports filed using the filer's own format must include all of the
information required in Section 20.19(i) of the Commission's rules.[^6]

Reports are to be filed in WT Docket No. 07-250. Reports may be filed:
(1) using the Commission's Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS), (2)
using the Federal Government's eRulemaking Portal, or (3) by filing
paper copies. *See* Electronic Filing of Documents in Rulemaking
Proceedings, 63 FR 24121 (1998).

-   **Electronic Filers**: Reports may be filed electronically using the
    Internet by accessing the ECFS: http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs/ or the
    Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Filers
    should follow the instructions provided on the websites.

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-   For ECFS filers, in completing the transmittal screen, filers should
    include their full name, U.S. Postal Service mailing address, and
    the applicable docket number (WT Docket No. 07-250). ECFS filers may
    also submit an electronic report by Internet e-mail. To get filing
    instructions, filers should send an e-mail to ecfs@fcc.gov, and
    include the following words in the body of the message, "get form."
    A sample form and directions will be sent in response.

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-   **Paper Filers**: Parties who choose to file by paper must file an
    original and four copies of each filing.

> Filings can be sent by hand or messenger delivery, by commercial
> overnight courier, or by first-class or overnight U.S. Postal Service
> mail (although we continue to experience delays in receiving U.S.
> Postal Service mail). All filings must be addressed to the
> Commission's Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Federal
> Communications Commission.

-   The Commission's contractor will receive hand-delivered or
    messenger-delivered paper filings for the Commission's Secretary at
    236 Massachusetts Avenue, N.E., Suite 110, Washington, D.C. 20002.
    The filing hours at this location are 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. All
    hand deliveries must be held together with rubber bands or
    fasteners. Any envelopes must be disposed of before entering the
    building.

-   Commercial overnight mail (other than U.S. Postal Service Express
    Mail and Priority Mail) must be sent to 9300 East Hampton Drive,
    Capitol Heights, MD 20743.

-   U.S. Postal Service first-class, Express, and Priority mail should
    be addressed to 445 12th Street, S.W., Washington D.C. 20554.

All filings must be addressed to the Commission's Secretary, Marlene H.
Dortch, Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, 445
12th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20554. Parties should also send a
copy of their filings to Weiren Wang, Wireless Telecommunications
Bureau, Federal Communications Commission, Room 6215, 445 12th Street,
S.W., Washington, D.C. 20554, or by e-mail to Weiren.Wang@fcc.gov.
Parties must also serve one copy with the Commission's copy contractor,
Best Copy and Printing, Inc. (BCPI), Portals II, 445 12th Street, S.W.,
Room CY-B402, Washington, D.C. 20554, (202) 488-5300, or via e-mail to
fcc@bcpiweb.com.

Documents in WT Docket No. 07-250 are available for public inspection
and copying during business hours at the FCC Reference Information
Center, Portals II, 445 12th Street, S.W., Room CY‑A257, Washington,
D.C. 20554. The documents may also be purchased from BCPI, telephone
(202) 488-5300, facsimile (202) 488-5563, TTY (202) 488-5562, e-mail
fcc@bcpiweb.com. People with Disabilities: To request materials in
accessible formats for people with disabilities (Braille, large print,
electronic files, audio format), send an e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or
call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530
(voice), (202) 418- 0432 (TTY).

For more information or if you have questions, please contact Christina
Clearwater, Christina.Clearwater@fcc.gov, (202) 418-1893, or Weiren
Wang, Weiren.Wang@fcc.gov, (202) 418-7275.

**- WTB --**

[^1]: These requirements apply to "providers of digital CMRS in the
    United States to the extent that they offer real-time, two-way
    switched voice or data service that is interconnected with the
    public switched network and utilizes an in-network switching
    facility that enables the provider to reuse frequencies and
    accomplish seamless hand-offs of subscriber calls, and such service
    is provided over frequencies in the 800 MHz-950 MHz or 1.6-2.5 GHz
    bands using any air interface for which technical standards are
    stated in the standard document "American National Standard for
    Methods of Measurement of Compatibility between Wireless
    Communications Devices and Hearing Aids," American National
    Standards Institute (ANSI) C 63.19-2007." 47 C.F.R. § 20.19(a)(1).
    These requirements also apply to "the manufacturers of the wireless
    handsets that are used in the delivery of the services specified in
    paragraph (a)(1)" of Section 20.19. 47 C.F.R. § 20.19(a)(2).

[^2]: *See* 47 C.F.R. § 20.19(i)*.*

[^3]: *See* Section 68.4(a) of the Commission's Rules Governing Hearing
    Aid-Compatible Telephones, WT Docket Nos. 01-309, 06-203, *First
    Report and Order and Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking*,
    23 FCC Rcd 3406, 3444-47 ¶¶ 95-103 (2008) ("*Hearing Aid
    Compatibility First Report and Order"*).

[^4]: *Id.* at 3444 ¶ 96.

[^5]: *See* 47 C.F.R. § 20.19(e) (*de minimis* exception). *De minimis*
    entities are not, however, required to respond to all data
    categories. *Hearing Aid Compatibility First Report and Order,* 23
    FCC Rcd 3406, 3446 ¶ 99.

[^6]: *See* 47 C.F.R. § 20.19(i)*.*