DSP Group®, Inc. announced that its XceedR®DECT chipset solution has been selected to power the Alto™, a new amplified telephone from Clarity, a division of Plantronics. The DSP Group-powered telephone is the first to pass the Telephone Industry Association’s (TIA) new standard for sound amplification and frequency, TIA-4953.

DSP Group’s cutting-edge XceedR SoC DECT cordless chipset family brings extended range, powerful processing capability, and superb audio quality to cordless telephony. Together with its firmware and reference software features, XceedR minimizes R&D costs and reduces time to market, while guaranteeing standards compliancy, HD quality audio, multi-line, multi-party conferencing and mobility support through DECT/CAT-iq handsets and headsets.

The new TIA-4953 standard, published in May 2012, establishes the first official industry benchmarks for telephones designed for individuals with hearing loss. The purpose of TIA-4953 is to provide hearing impaired consumers with objective information to verify how a specific telephone model will help them communicate better.

“DSP Group’s XceedR chipset helped us to meet the new standard’s rigorous requirements,” said Carsten Trads, President of Clarity. “These new requirements are critically important to improve telephone communication for millions in the hearing impaired community. People with hearing loss can be confident that telephones compliant with the new TIA standards will, without a doubt, help them communicate better, measurably improving their quality of life,” he concluded.

“We are pleased with our long-term partnership with Clarity, and of course with their choice of our XceedR DECT chipset solution to power their best in class amplified phones,” said Sai Yelisetty, Vice President US Sales and Marketing of DSP Group. “Leveraging DSP Group’s chipset, Clarity will lead the industry forward to meet emerging audio standards.”