Mobile Phones and Hearing Aids

  Business Phone Service

Digital mobile phones, GSM phones in particular, can cause problems for people with hearing aids, especially older hearing aids. Hearing aids receive the magnetic field from phones as hissing or static, and it can be quite painful for the person wearing the hearing aid. This also makes it almost impossible for people who rely on hearing aids to use mobile phones.

Generally, to cause a problem the phone has to be within a few inches of the hearing aid, so there are things that hearing-impaired persons can do to reduce interference and use mobile phones. This normally involves using a hands-free kit or neck loop to keep the phone away from the hearing aid.

Newer, digital hearing aids don't normally have a problem with mobile phones, and in-canal hearing aids work a little better with phones than behind-the-ear units. Unfortunately, other than testing it, there isn't any way to be sure that a phone won't interfere with your hearing aid. When you are buying a phone or signing up for a service, ask to test the phone at the store prior to purchasing it. This way you'll be sure that your phone will be usable.

Choosing a Mobile Service Provider
After you've decide what you need, and you have an idea about what sort of l- device you are looking for, you can set out to find a suitable cellular carrier.

When you're shopping for your new phone and plan, don't believe all the sales pitches you hear about coverage, number of subscribers, and call quality. Marketing departments are always going to present a best-case scenario, and because quality of service can vary so widely between carriers in a particular geographic area, you're going to have to do a little investigating to be sure that you don't sign a two-year contract for what could end up being a digital paperweight.

The biggest reason for varying service and coverage is that the industry is continuing to build out and upgrade its networks. According to the CTIA, as of June 2003 there were almost 148,000 active cell sites in the United States. The number continues to grow by over 12 percent each year. As more cell towers are installed, service continues to improve.

Unfortunately, even when they want to add cell sites and improve service, cell carriers can't always find a suitable place to install them. This is usually due to NIMBYism (Not in My Back Yard) of some sort. As an example, some communities in San Diego have been complaining about poor cell coverage, dropped calls, and what they perceive as the cellular industries' overlooking their needs. In reality these same communities vehemently oppose every attempt by carriers to locate cell sites in their communities to improve their reception.