In some good news for those with impaired hearing, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has now recognized the updated version of an important industry standard.
In its latest revised list of recognized consensus standards, the FDA has now included ANSI C63.19-2019 – American National Standard, Methods of Measurement of Compatibility between Wireless Communications Devices and Hearing Aids. The latest update to C63.19 harmonizes the standard’s testing methodologies with current available international standards and is applicable to a wider range of frequencies.
View the current list of FDA-recognized consensus standards.
In a further development, Canada’s Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) Department is updating its Radio Standard Specification, RSS-HAC – Hearing Aid Compatibility, to reference the 2019 version of C63.19. Issue 2 of the specification is currently in draft form.
As we reported earlier this year, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted ANSI C63.19-2019 as the standard to be used in assessing HAC-compatible handsets for compliance with the agency’s certification requirements. The FCC’s Report and Order announcing the decision provided handset manufacturers with a two-year transition period to adopt the requirements set forth in the standard.
