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August 31, 2005
T-Mobile USA joins Cingular in requesting hearing-aid phone extension
T-Mobile USA Inc. asked the Federal Communications Commission for an additional 60 days to meet the Sept. 16 deadline by which the nation's top four national carriers must either make available-per air interface-four hearing-aid-compatible mobile phones or ensure that 25 percent of their handset models have that capability.
"Due to unique and unusual factual circumstances beyond T-Mobile's control … so far only two of these handsets have been found to comply with the FCC's hearing-aid-compatibility standard and have received grants for certification," stated T-Mobile in its waiver request.
T-Mobile said the additional time would help ensure that GSM 1900 MHz hearing-aid-compatible-enabled phones can be supplied to company stores and that other FCC requirements, including labeling, merchandising and training of retail customer service employees, are met.
On Aug. 5, Cingular Wireless L.L.C. petitioned the FCC for a waiver of hearing-aid-compatible rules for GSM 850 MHz phones.
Hearing-disabled advocates and hearing-aid manufacturers said they were disappointed to learn of Cingular's difficulties bringing GSM 850 MHz phones into compliance, but they did not oppose the Cingular waiver request.
By By Jeffrey Silva
Posted by 4HL on August 31, 2005 12:31 AM
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