The move of the wireless industry from analog to digital services has provided some issues of concern for wireless users with hearing disabilities.  Digital technology can mean an enhanced wireless experience, but some digital handset models can cause interference for hearing aid users.

To ensure accessibility for the deaf and hard of hearing to the use of digital wireless devices, the Federal Communications Commission ("FCC") made updates to the Hearing Aid Compatibility ("HAC") Act of 1988 to increase the number of HAC compliant wireless devices on the market.

HAC Rating System
The American National Standard Institute ("ANSI") has developed hearing aid compatibility rating standard C63.19 to provide assistance to hearing device users in finding the right digital wireless device to purchase.  Standard C63.19 provides a uniform method for measuring the radio frequency ("RF") immunity and telecoil coupling strength of hearing aids, as well as the RF emissions and telecoil coupling strength of wireless devices.  The measurements are converted to a microphone ("M") rating and a telecoil ("T") rating.  Customers can use the ratings to predict the compatibility of a particular digital wireless handset and a hearing aid. 

M-Ratings:Wireless devices rated M3 or M4 meet FCC requirements and are likely to generate less interference to hearing devices that utilize a microphone for picking up sounds from the handset's speaker.  M4 is the higher of the two ratings.
T-Ratings:Wireless devices rated T3 or T4 meet FCC requirements and are likely to be more usable with a hearing device's telecoil (a/k/a "T Switch" or "Telephone Switch") than unrated wireless devices.  T4 is the higher of the two ratings.  The advantage of a telecoil is that it removes extraneous noise that would otherwise be picked up by a microphone.

Hearing Device Immunity
Hearing devices may also be measured for immunity to interference.  To learn if a digital wireless handset may interfere with a particular hearing aid, the immunity rating of the hearing aid is added to the rating of the digital handset.  A sum of four would indicate that the telephone is usable; a sum of five would indicate that the telephone would provide normal use; and a sum of six or greater would indicate that the telephone would provide excellent performance with that hearing aid.

Hearing Device Immunity
GCI/DigiTel has worked with our vendors to improve the wireless experience for our customers that use hearing aids.  Per FCC guidelines, the handsets featured below have been tested and rated for HAC.

Levels of Functionality
GCI/DigiTel is consistently looking for ways to offer a full line up of hearing aid compliant handsets.  In doing so, the company strives to ensure that its customers can choose from a diverse array of functions and capabilities that are similar to the non-HAC handsets the company sells, and that each compliant handset is reasonably priced.  The company does this by looking at available and soon-to-be-available handsets first to determine whether they are hearing aid compliant and what ANSI C3.19 standard they meet.  Once verified, the company also considers the types and combinations of features it already offers and how the new handset's features would complement the company's existing line of products and whether its customers will continue to demand those features in the future.  The company also considers the price of the handsets, taking into consideration the need of customers at all levels of income, ranging from approximately $100 per handset to more than $500 per handset. 

GCI/DigiTel currently offers four different tiers of phones, each of which is based on function, capability, and price.  Tier I is comprised of HAC compliant handsets with a basic set of features that customers in Alaska expect of their mobile phones, including voice dialing, polyphonic ringtones, a speaker phone, and predictive text entry, a camera (select models), software for running small programs like games, sending photos, etc., and Internet access for a retail price beginning at $79.99 and higher.  This tier is comprised of the following handsets: Nokia 1006 and the Nokia 1606.  For Tier II, GCI/DigiTel offers phones that have the functions of the first tier, plus additional features including video players, higher resolution and color display, and music players for a price ranging from $189.99 and higher.  Tier II is currently comprised of the following models: Samsung R460 and the Samsung R600.  For Tier III, GCI/DigiTel offers phones that have the functions of the first two tiers, plus additional features including, but not limited to touchscreen, high-resolution camera and E-Mail capabilities (select models) for a retail price beginning at $249.99 and higher.  Tier III is currently comprised of the following models: Motorola VE20 and the Samsung R810 Finesse.  GCI/DigiTel Tier IV are smart phones that provide further functionality, including PC-like capabilities, a full keyboard for typing text, email accounts, etc., plus all the features of the first three tiers, for a price that starts at $399.99 and higher.  This tier is currently comprised of the following Blackberry models: 8230 and 8330.  On all handsets, discounted prices are available for customers who sign up for a one or two year service term.