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National Cellular to distribute Bluetooth product for hearing-aid users

ARLINGTON, Texas-National Cellular announced it will distribute Starkey Laboratories’ Ear Level Instrument product, which the companies said will allow hearing-aid users to make calls on any Bluetooth-capable mobile phone.

“ELI offers hearing-instrument wearers the freedom to communicate with Bluetooth-compatible wireless phones,” said Jerry Ruzicka, Starkey’s president. “Because the solution is wireless, it eliminates the hassle of cable clutter.”

Hearing-aid users often experience a buzzing sound that makes conversations over a mobile phone difficult or impossible to hear. The Federal Communications Commission has required cellular handset manufacturers to provide a small selection of wireless handsets that will significantly minimize or eliminate this interference. The ELI device pairs hearing aids with Bluetooth phones, thereby expanding the number of hearing-aid-compatible mobile phones. To date several wireless carriers have said they cannot meet original mandates for offering hearing-aid-compatible handsets.

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