Although I promised myself a break from any columns that have to do with CDMA vs. GSM technology and hearing aid interference, I’m breaking the rule-because something positive happened and, frankly, there hasn’t been that much positive to comment about on the issue.
However, Dr. Irwin Jacobs, the chairman and chief executive officer at Qualcomm Inc., earlier this month sent a letter to the San Diego City Council recommending that Pacific Bell Mobile Services’ request for conditional use permits to construct antenna sites for PCS be approved.
No small feat when you consider that Jacobs stands behind CDMA technology and Pac Bell plans to use rival GSM technology right in Jacobs’ backyard-San Diego.
Nevertheless, Jacobs says in the letter that “every wireless technology has a potential for interference to hearing aids. The nature and intensity of the interference depends upon the peak power transmitted by the telephone and modulation formats.” Of course, Jacobs believes CDMA technology is superior and notes that in the letter.
Qualcomm has repeatedly said it is not supporting the Wireless Communications Council or James Valentine in any way and this letter affirms that. I’ve also been assured that the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association did not force Jacobs to write the letter. Further, a Qualcomm spokeswoman also told me that the letter was not prompted by a hearing-aid interference article in the Wall Street Journal.
All of these are legitimate concerns. The cellular industry learned some fast lessons a few years ago when the general press got word of the alleged connection between cellular phone use and brain tumors. Too much attention on the potential problems between digital phones and hearing aid interference could hurt the entire digital wireless industry (and don’t think CTIA and individual companies aren’t aware of the potential damage this issue could do to stock prices).
CTIA President Tom Wheeler, in a press release, sums up my feelings perfectly. “It is definitely time to move this issue from the political arena to the laboratory and the marketplace, where it will be resolved.”
The San Diego City Council is set to decide the issue today, so the saga continues*…
Meanwhile, CTIA launched a home page on the Internet titled AccessWireless for hearing aid wearers. The page is designed to help hearing aid wearers choose a wireless phone. Users can access the site at http: www.ctia.org/access/.
