It looks like some of the money that T-Mobile received from AT&T due to the failed merger could be spent paying the FCC a hefty fine of $819,000. The carrier had been fined for allegedly violating specific sections of the FCC’s rules. The particular rule that the FCC claims T-Mobile violated was specific to how all US wireless carriers are expected to offer a certain amount of devices that are compatible with hearing aids. According to the statement released by the FCC:
“Specifically, T-Mobile, a nationwide wireless carrier with more than 33 million customers and more than $21 billion dollars in annual revenue, apparently failed to offer the required number of hearing aid-compatible digital wireless handset models as set forth in the Rules. These hearing aid compatibility requirements serve to ensure that consumers with hearing loss have access to advanced telecommunications services.”
For those unfamiliar, the FCC issued the Hearing Aid Compatibility Order back in 2003. This basically stated that all carriers were required to offer up a certain number of handsets that support acoustic coupling, and a certain number of devices with support for inductive coupling. Apparently T-Mobile did not meet that required number hence the hefty fine from the FCC. The carrier has since released a statement to TechnoBuffalo stating:
“T-Mobile USA is committed to providing high-quality products and services to all of its customers, including a broad selection of handsets that are hearing aid compatible. T-Mobile takes seriously its obligations to comply with its hearing aid compatibility responsibilities as part of our overall commitment to the accessibility needs of our customers.”