Summary
Swiss accessibility guidance on choosing between induction loops and Auracast for public buildings during the transition.
Key findings
- Notes that SIA 500 has so far named induction as the preferred technology for hearing systems in public buildings, with FM or infrared plus receivers and neckloops as alternatives.
- Expects Auracast in most new hearing aids and headphones within two to three years, except very small models, and longer (about five years or more) for cochlear implants; with hearing aids kept for six years or more, it expects the move from induction to Auracast to take up to ten years, with hybrid solutions needed meanwhile.
- Says the first Auracast transmitters for fixed hearing systems have been available since early 2025, so experience rests on few installations, and that secure Auracast solutions for settings such as courtrooms were still in development.
- Reports Pro Audito's advice to plan for Auracast in every new project, ideally installed in parallel with a fixed induction loop; an Auracast-only system is acceptable where a loop is not feasible, provided mobile receivers with neckloops are visible, available and easy to use.
Limits
Expert guidance and forecasts, not measurements. Swiss context; updated 19 May 2025, before the SIA 500 consultation draft appeared.
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Cited in
- Auracast, hearing loop, infrared, RF or Wi-Fi: which suits which room?Disputed
- How many receivers and neckloops does each code require, and how should a loan pool be run?Partly answered
- Will equipment bought today meet the standards that follow?Open
- Open or protected: when should a venue broadcast need a code?Open
- How many listeners carry a telecoil, an Auracast-capable device or a smartphone?Disputed
- What do listeners prefer, and how often do they use venue systems?Partly answered
- Should a venue keep its hearing loop when it adds Auracast, and can one system serve both?Partly answered
- What does each system cost to install and to run over its life?Open
- What reaches a cochlear implant user in a venue, and how well?Partly answered
- Do neckloops give telecoil users good sound from FM, infrared, Wi-Fi and Auracast receivers?Not reliable yet
- What works in courtrooms, council chambers and other meeting rooms where speech must be heard by all and kept in the room?Partly answered
Cite this source
Hindernisfreie Architektur, the Swiss national centre for barrier-free architecture, with recommendations from Pro Audito Schweiz. Höranlagen heute und morgen. Was ändert sich mit der neuen Technologie Auracast? (Hearing systems today and tomorrow: what changes with Auracast?). hindernisfreie-architektur.ch (in German). 19 May 2025. https://hindernisfreie-architektur.ch/fachinformation/hoeranlagen-heute-und-morgen-was-aendert-sich-mit-der-neuen-technologie-auracast/ (accessed 9 October 2026).
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