Ofcom report on bandwidth frequencies welcomed

14 June 2017

The British and Irish Hearing Instrument Manufacturers Association (BIHIMA) has written an open letter to policy makers and regulators in response to a recent report by Ofcom.

The hearing industry has long been concerned about plans to auction new bandwidth frequencies for use by mobile phone companies as these sit very close to the 2.4 GHz band which is used by some hearing aids, radio aids and sound processors for cochlear implants. BIHIMA, along with many other stakeholders including BSHAA and several hearing charities, have campaigned for further testing of these frequencies to ensure there is no interference which would disrupt the lives of millions of people who use hearing technology.

The letter from BIHIMA chairman Paul Surridge welcomes Ofcom’s findings that the hearing devices tested showed little sign of interference, and we are pleased to reassure hearing technology users that they can continue to use their devices with confidence.

However, BIHIMA remains committed to monitoring the situation over the long term, to ensure in particular that the surrounding “buffer zone” is protected and that no interference emerges once the bandwidths are in regular use by mobile phone companies, a position backed by BSHAA.

READ THE LETTER FROM BIHIMA

READ THE FULL OFCOM REPORT

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