Accelerating Auracast use: Everyone should hear what matters

This project will explore how a new Bluetooth technology called Auracast™ can help people with disability hear important information, such as announcements and safety messages more clearly in public places.

Auracast lets audio be sent directly to hearing aids, earbuds, or smartphones, without the need for special equipment. The project will test Auracast and investigate how hearing loops can work together during a transition period. It will involve a global scan of best practices, workshops with people who have lived experience of hearing loss, discussions with industry, and a real-world pilot in a public venue.

This technology has been available only recently, and this project can accelerate its adoption, so everyone can hear what matters.

Participants

• iMOVE Australia
• La Trobe University
  
• NEC
• Get Skilled Access (GSA)

Project background

As of the 2021 Australian Census, more than 16,200 people reported using Auslan (Australian Sign Language) at home, indicating their identification with the deaf community. However, this figure does not encompass all individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing in Australia.

In Australia:

• about 3.6 million people have some level of hearing loss
• noise exposure is one of the biggest causes of preventable hearing loss
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children have a much higher rate of ear disease than other children, which can result in hearing loss.

One in six Australians over the age of 60 has hearing loss, increasing with age. By age 85, more than half will experience some degree of hearing loss. As Australia’s population ages, we expect the number of people with a hearing impairment to double to an estimated 7.8 million people in 2060. (Health.gov.au)

Issues with current solutions

Hearing loops (also known as induction loops or Audio Frequency Induction Loop Systems, AFILS) have been widely used to support people with hearing aids in public spaces—but they come with several practical, technical, and equity limitations that are increasingly driving the search for more flexible new alternatives like Auracast.

1. Infrastructure constraints

Costly to install and maintain: Hearing loops require copper wiring around the perimeter of the space, making retrofits expensive—especially in large or complex venues.

Not portable: They’re fixed systems and can’t support dynamic, temporary, or mobile environments. Hence it is hard to implement in buses and trams.

Susceptible to interference: Nearby electrical systems or metal structures can degrade sound quality.

2. Limited user compatibility

Only works with telecoil-enabled hearing aids: Not all hearing aids or cochlear implants include a telecoil (T-coil), and uptake among newer devices is declining. People who are hard of hearing but don’t use a telecoil (or use earbuds, cochlear processors, etc.) cannot access the loop.

3. Lack of user control

No stream selection: Users can’t choose between multiple announcements or audio sources—it’s a single, fixed broadcast, with limited customisation options

5. Not future-proof

Doesn’t align with mainstream tech trends: With the rise of Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids, earbuds, and smartphones, hearing loops are increasingly disconnected from the devices people use daily. Limited innovation potential: Loops are analog systems with no easy upgrade path for multi-language streams, spatial audio, or integration with apps and smart environments.

Introducing Aurcast

This project will explore how a new Bluetooth technology called Auracast can help people with disability hear important information—like announcements and safety messages—more clearly in public places. Auracast lets audio be sent directly to hearing aids, earbuds, or smartphones, without the need for special equipment. The project will test how hearing loops both systems can work together during a transition period. It will involve a global scan of best practices, workshops with people who have lived experience of hearing loss, discussions with industry, and a real-world pilot in a public venue. The technology has been available only recently, and this project can accelerate its adoption, so everyone can hear what matters.

Auracast, powered by Bluetooth, represented by NEC, is a transformative technology that allows audio to be broadcast wirelessly to compatible hearing devices, including hearing aids, cochlear implants, and earbuds. Unlike traditional systems that require specialised equipment or direct connectivity, Auracast enables users to tune into an audio stream directly through their Bluetooth-enabled devices.

Whether in a busy communal area, during private conversations, or while watching television, Auracast ensures that individuals can hear with clarity and precision, regardless of their environment.

Project objectives

The overall objective of the project is to accelerate the inclusive rollout of Auracast broadcast audio in public infrastructure, supporting a planned transition from hearing loops to more flexible, user-driven accessibility solutions.

The sub-objectives are to:

• understand the current state of industry development and the possibilities of Auracast;
• understand current hearing challenges from a lived experience end user point of view and the potential use cases that can be generated from that understanding for Auracast;
• assess the transition requirements of hearing aid industry and readiness of potential industry or government users;
• evaluate the technical performance of Auracast and obtain end user feedback by doing a trial;
• assess potential changes required for Auracast in the DSAPT regulations with regards to hearing loops; and
• amplify the findings to lower the adoption barrier of Auracast or others.

Please note …

This page will be a living record of this project. As it matures, hits milestones, etc., we’ll continue to add information, links, images, interviews and more. Watch this space!