Federal Communications Commission FCC 08-68
STATEMENT OF
COMMISSIONER MICHAEL J. COPPS
Re:  Section 68.4(a) of the Commission’s Rules Governing Hearing-Aid Compatible 
Telephones, Petition of American National Standards Institute Accredited Standards 
Committee C63 (EMC) ANSI ASC C63®, WT Docket No. 07-250.
I am pleased to vote for today’s item, which will improve the access of Americans 
with hearing loss to cutting-edge wireless handsets.  As I have stated many times before, 
one of the FCC’s most solemn responsibilities is to ensure that all Americans have access 
to the nation’s communications system.  Our ongoing work in creating hearing aid 
compatibility (HAC) requirements for wireless digital phones is a critical part of fulfilling 
that mission.  I am pleased that today’s item continues the FCC’s commitment to 
ensuring that Americans with hearing-loss will benefit from the exciting and on-going 
advances in the wireless marketplace.  
I am especially pleased that the HAC framework we adopt today arises out of a 
Joint Consensus Plan developed by consumer advocates, wireless carriers and handset 
manufacturers.  I know it took a great deal of hard work and dedication by the parties to 
reach this common ground, and I salute them for their efforts.  This example of 
partnership among diverse stakeholders—as well as the private and the public sector—is 
a valuable and important model that I hope the Commission can encourage and replicate 
in other areas of its responsibility.   
I also am glad that we provide a mechanism for these stakeholders to continue to 
work together to develop a proposal for how to deal with multi-mode handsets that use 
air interfaces and frequency bands (other than Wi-Fi) for which HAC standards have not 
yet been developed.  I look forward to receiving this proposal within 3 months (and a 
more detailed proposal within 6 months) and then working with my colleagues to issue 
rules on this subject shortly thereafter.  This timeframe permits us to resolve this 
important issue, in a way that provides clear rules of the road for consumers and industry, 
well before any such phones are brought to market.