New Bluetooth Tech to Broaden Access for Hearing Impaired, Says SIG

Auracast broadcast audio, rebranded from Audio Sharing, will "reshape personal audio,” said Bluetooth SIG CEO Mark Powell Wednesday. The Bluetooth technology will allow a transmitter to broadcast to an unlimited number of nearby Bluetooth audio receivers, said the Bluetooth trade group. With Auracast, users will be able to invite others to share audio experiences, hear sound from TVs in public places that was muted in the past and receive broadcasts from public address systems on Auracast-enabled earbuds or hearing devices, said the trade group. Travelers at an airport, for instance, will be able to receive flight announcements such as gate changes, boarding schedules and other travel information directly to their personal audio device. The advent of technologies like Auracast broadcast audio has the potential to give people who wear hearing aids and cochlear implants a new option for hearing access, said Barbara Kelley, Hearing Loss Association of America executive director. Current assistive listening systems, such as inductive loops, suffer poor quality, high cost and lack of privacy, said WiFore Chief Technology Officer Nick Hunn, saying Auracast will be easier and more cost-efficient to deploy, while offering higher audio quality and more privacy. Bluetooth specifications that define Auracast broadcast audio are part of the Bluetooth LE Audio specification suite and are expected to be released within the next few months.