The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has entered into a settlement agreement with Sony Mobile Corporation in connection with the company’s failure to offer consumers the required number of hearing aid-compatible (HAC) digital wireless handset models.
In a Consent Decree issued in June 2014, Sony agreed to make a voluntary contribution to the U.S. Treasury in the amount of $400,000 for its failure to consistently offer a sufficient number of HAC handsets during the 2011-2012 mandated reporting period. According to Sony, the company erroneously assumed that compliance with the FCC’s HAC handset requirements was measured on an annual basis, and not on a month-to-month basis as required by the FCC, and that it failed to offer a sufficient number of HAC handsets for 11 of the 12 months of the reporting period.
In addition to the voluntary contribution, Sony also agreed to appoint a senior corporate officer to oversee compliance with the FCC’s HAC requirements, and to develop and implement a company-wide compliance plan, including a compliance manual and compliance training for employees.
Read the complete text of the FCC’s settlement agreement with Sony Mobile Corporation.
