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 SEPARATE  STATEMENT  OF  COMMISSIONER  KEVIN  J  .  MARTIN 
 Re:  Section  68.4(  a)  of  the  Commission’s  Rules  Governing  Hearing  Aid-  Compatible  Phones,  Report  and  Order,  WT  Docket  No.  01-  309,  RM-  8658 
 This  item  addresses  a  very  important  issue.  Approximately  one  in  ten  Americans  –  and  one  in  three  over  the  age  of  65  –  suffers  from  some  level  of  hearing  loss.  Many  of 
 these  people  are  able  to  mitigate  their  loss  through  the  use  of  hearing  aids  and  cochlear  implants.  Consumers  that  use  these  devices,  however,  may  suffer  annoying  and 
 sometimes  painful  interference  when  using  digital  wireless  phones.  Unlike  analog  wireless  phones,  which  do  not  generally  cause  interference  for  hearing  aid  users,  the 
 electromagnetic  energy  emitted  by  digital  phones’  antenna,  backlight,  and  other  components  can  cause  interference  to  hearing  aids  and  cochlear  implants.  But  digital 
 phones  have  become  pervasive.  Analog  phones  are  not  only  becoming  less  and  less  available,  they  increasingly  do  not  offer  the  same  services  and  pricing  packages  as  digital 
 phones. 
 At  the  same  time,  the  importance  of  wireless  phones  has  grown  dramatically  since  Congress  passed  the  Hearing  Aid  Compatibility  Act  of  1988  (HAC  Act).  Consumers 
 have  come  to  rely  on  the  phones  for  emergencies.  Some  are  now  substituting  wireless  phones  for  their  landline  phones.  Many  employers  now  rely  on  wireless  phones  to  stay  in 
 contact  with  employees  in  the  field. 
 This  item  recognizes  the  importance  of  wireless  phones  for  all  Americans  and  concludes  that,  to  the  extent  possible,  hearing  impaired  individuals  should  not  be 
 excluded.  While  exactly  how  to  make  this  happen  is  a  difficult  question,  this  item  takes  some  important  steps  in  the  right  direction.  Most  importantly,  this  item  adopts  a  standard 
 for  hearing  aid  compatibility  and  establishes  a  specific  timeframe  for  manufacturers  and  carriers  to  make  available  hearing  aid-  compatible  digital  wireless  phones.  These  actions 
 promote  the  Congressional  goal  of  ensuring  access  to  telecommunications  services  for  individuals  with  hearing  disabilities  and  are  critical  in  light  of  the  rising  importance  of 
 wireless  phones.  I  am  thus  pleased  to  support  the  Order. 
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