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Canadian Hearing Services launches Auracast(TM) for accessible business and public services across Canada

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  Published in Business and Finance on Wednesday, October 1st 2025 at 10:18 GMT by Toronto Star
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Canadian Hearing Services Unveils Auracast – A New Frontier for Accessible Business and Public Services

Ottawa, Oct. 1, 2024 – In a landmark announcement that could reshape how Canadians experience public and private services, Canadian Hearing Services (CHS) today launched Auracast, a cutting‑edge, real‑time audio streaming and captioning solution designed to make business and government interactions more inclusive for people with hearing loss. The unveiling came during a live virtual event hosted by CHS’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Lisa Mills, and was broadcast to an audience of over 2,000 stakeholders, including policymakers, technology partners, and advocacy groups.

What is Auracast?

Auracast is a cloud‑based platform that integrates seamlessly with existing telecommunications infrastructure to deliver high‑quality audio streams to hearing aids, cochlear implants, and wireless devices. The core innovation lies in its low‑latency audio relay: the system captures a source—be it a phone call, video conference, or in‑person presentation—and transmits it to connected devices in real time, effectively “broadening” the listening field of hearing‑impairment users.

Key features include:

According to Dr. Mills, “Auracast isn’t just a product—it’s a service ecosystem that empowers people to engage fully with the world, whether they’re attending a board meeting or a city council session.”

Why This Matters

Canada’s hearing‑loss statistics are staggering: the Canadian Hearing Survey 2023 reported that 1 in 5 Canadians aged 15 and older experience some form of hearing impairment. Despite advances in assistive technology, many users still report challenges when interacting with standard telephone lines, public announcements, or digital content that lacks captions or low‑latency audio.

The federal Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and similar provincial legislation mandate that businesses and public agencies provide accessible services. Yet, many organizations struggle to comply due to fragmented solutions and high costs. Auracast offers a unified, cost‑effective answer that meets the Digital Accessibility Standard (DAS) requirements set out by the Canadian government.

Dr. Mills highlighted that “the most compelling evidence for Auracast is the gap between the technological potential we’ve seen for years and the lack of adoption in everyday settings. With Auracast, we’re bridging that gap.”

Partnerships and Pilot Projects

During the launch, CHS announced strategic collaborations with several major players:

• Microsoft – Integration of Auracast’s API with Microsoft Teams to deliver real‑time audio streams in corporate meetings.
• AT&T Canada – Deployment of Auracast on AT&T’s nationwide 5G network to support public‑sector use cases, such as university lecture series and provincial health‑care webinars.
• City of Toronto – A pilot program enabling Auracast for the city’s 311 hotline, allowing residents with hearing loss to connect with municipal services via their hearing aids.

An early‑adopter pilot in the Ontario Ministry of Health demonstrated that Auracast could reduce patient wait times by 12% in tele‑health consultations. “Patients no longer need to re‑ask or wait for clarifications,” said Dr. Sanjay Patel, Chief Medical Officer at the Ministry. “They can hear everything the same way as the clinician.”

Industry Reactions

Mark Reilly, CEO of Phonak Canada, praised the launch: “Auracast’s interoperability aligns with Phonak’s mission to provide open, accessible solutions. We’re excited to co‑develop next‑generation firmware that will enhance latency and signal fidelity.”

Advocacy Group “Hearing Canada” welcomed the initiative, noting that “accessibility isn’t optional; it’s a fundamental right. Auracast takes a huge step toward fulfilling that right.”

Future Roadmap

CHS outlined a multi‑phase rollout:

1. Q4 2024 – Full commercial launch in major Canadian cities, with an initial focus on government agencies and universities.
2. Q1 2025 – Expansion to international markets, starting with the United Kingdom and Australia, leveraging the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) to adapt captioning.
3. Q3 2025 – Development of AI‑driven contextual captions for complex jargon, such as legal or medical terms.
4. 2026 – Integration of “Smart‑Room” capabilities, allowing venues to broadcast Auracast streams to attendees on the go.

CHS also plans to open a research grant for academic studies on the impact of low‑latency audio on cognitive load and user satisfaction.

How to Get Involved

Individuals and organizations interested in testing Auracast can register on CHS’s dedicated portal: https://www.canhearingservices.ca/auracast. The portal offers:

• Live Demo – Interactive simulation of Auracast in a virtual meeting environment.
• User Feedback Forms – Structured surveys to capture usability data.
• Partnership Application – Guidelines for businesses that wish to integrate Auracast into their customer‑facing services.

For a deeper dive into the technology, readers can visit the Auracast Technical Whitepaper at https://www.canhearingservices.ca/auracast/whitepaper. The whitepaper outlines the system architecture, latency benchmarks, and compatibility matrix.

Conclusion

The launch of Auracast represents a pivotal moment in Canada’s journey toward truly inclusive digital infrastructure. By marrying low‑latency audio streaming with robust captioning, CHS has delivered a solution that satisfies regulatory mandates, enhances user experience, and offers a scalable platform for future innovations.

As the Canadian hearing‑loss community celebrates this breakthrough, the broader industry watches closely. If Auracast’s promise translates into widespread adoption, it could well set a global benchmark for accessible communication technology, ensuring that hearing‑impaired Canadians—and indeed, all people—can participate fully in society’s digital future.