Summary
Australia's standard for the design, application and testing of assistive listening systems: hearing loops, radio and infrared receiver systems, coverage, receiver numbers and signage.
Key findings
- The store's synopsis says the standard sets requirements for the design, application and testing of assistive listening systems for people who are deaf or have a hearing impairment. Published 3 September 2021, 65 pages, current, superseding AS 1428.5-2010.
- Its published table of contents covers hearing loop systems in detail (telecoil orientation and blind zones, coverage area, magnetic field strength, background noise, frequency response, distortion, test reports), with a separate section for systems at counters.
- Separate sections set specifications for modulated radio and infrared receiver systems (receivers, attachments, battery life, frequency response, distortion, signage, measurement and calibration), and a section covers sound field amplification.
- Under receiver system types, the contents list "Public wi-fi system and mobile/cellular network" and wireless technology connecting hearing devices to phones. An appendix has headings on why low latency is critical and "Why mobile phones are not suitable as receivers".
- An appendix covers hearing loop coverage, receiver system coverage and receiver quantities, coverage area and signage. The normative references include IEC 62489 on induction loop components.
- Its published table of contents includes signage clauses for loops (3.2.14), counters (3.3.13), radio (4.2.9) and infrared (5.2.9), a full section 7 on signage, and Annex A.7.
Limits
Only the synopsis, table of contents and reference list are public; the requirements, numbers and the reasoning under each heading are in the paid text and are not summarised here. Where it applies depends on the Australian code or contract that calls it up, which this record does not establish. Its contents do not name Bluetooth broadcast or Auracast.
Read the original
store.standards.org.au/product/as-1428-5-2021
Cited in
- Which systems satisfy the ADA and building codes, and does a listener's own phone count?Disputed
- 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
- How is an installed hearing loop checked against IEC 60118-4, and how often does it pass?Partly answered
- Where do hearing loops fall short: metal, spill, noise and upkeep?Partly answered
- How much delay does Wi-Fi streaming add, and when does it matter?Not reliable yet
- What does Wi-Fi streaming need from the venue's network and from listeners' phones?Partly answered
- Which radio bands can venue FM and RF systems use, and what limits them?Partly answered
- How do listeners learn that a venue has assistive listening, and which signs and symbols do the rules ask for?Partly answered
Cite this source
Standards Australia. AS 1428.5:2021 Design for access and mobility, Part 5: Communication for people who are deaf or hearing impaired. Standards Australia (Standards Store). 3 September 2021. https://store.standards.org.au/product/as-1428-5-2021 (accessed 9 October 2026).
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