Frankfurt Airport is testing a new service at select gates that allows gate announcements to be transmitted directly to passengers’ personal audio devices (hearing aids, earbuds, headphones, etc.) via Auracast™ broadcast audio, ensuring that they can be heard clearly without any distracting background noise. It is the first airport worldwide to do so.
What is Auracast™ broadcast audio?
Auracast™ broadcast audio is a new Bluetooth® capability that delivers new audio experiences, letting you share your audio, unmute silent TVs, and tune into public broadcasts, allowing you to hear your best wherever you go. Auracast™ broadcast audio enables an audio transmitter (smartphone, laptop, TV, public address or sound system, etc.) to broadcast audio to an unlimited number of receivers (headphones, earbuds, hearing aids, etc.).
This life-changing innovation is already making major impacts across the industry, and airports (where there is high noise, constant movement, and frequent changes) are exactly the kind of venue where real-world audio accessibility is needed. Frankfurt Airport is a great example of how this technology can be used to enhance everyday travel experiences.
Auracast™ broadcasts in the Frankfurt Airport
Most of us know what it is like to be waiting at the gate in a loud terminal, and it is hard to hear the boarding announcements from the gate agent. The sound system at select gates in the Frankfurt Airport now supports Auracast™ broadcast audio, so passengers can choose to hear important information such as boarding announcements, gate changes, or delays directly through their own compatible hearing aid, headphones, earbuds, or smartphone.
This innovation is beneficial for all travelers, including those who use hearing aids or other hearing instruments, who find it difficult to understand loudspeaker announcements in terminals. Just one of many reasons why Auracast™ broadcast audio is being adopted so quickly at public venues around the world.
If you happen to be traveling through the Frankfurt Airport, you can join the Auracast broadcast at gates A16 and A17 in Terminal 1. Simply scan the QR code on site, and join with your own Auracast™ compatible device (headphones, earbuds, hearing aids, smartphone, etc.).
What the industry is saying
Last month, several industry and media representatives attended the Auracast™ pilot event hosted at the Frankfurt Airport to hear firsthand how this new Bluetooth innovation will provide new levels of clarity and confidence for all travellers, including those with hearing loss.
See what those who attended the pilot event had to say about their experience.
- At Frankfurt Airport, Auracast™ broadcast audio did something unusual; it brought people together
- Frankfurt Airport is the first worldwide to test Auracast™ broadcast audio
- German airport trials new technology to help travellers with hearing loss
- Frankfurt Airport becomes the first airport worldwide to use Auracast™ broadcast audio for public announcements
- European airport deploys new tool to help travellers
A big win for audio accessibility
Deploying Auracast™ broadcast audio in terminals at the Frankfurt Airport gives travelers with hearing loss clearer access to time-sensitive gate information in one of the noisiest public environments. But the broader value is about clarity and confidence for any traveler who has struggled to hear information about their flight.
Leveraging Auracast™ broadcasts in the Frankfurt Airport is a great example of how large facilities can provide clearer, opt-in audio access without forcing people to change how they already move through the world. It is a practical example of what it looks like when a new Bluetooth capability moves from announcement to installation. For now, it is a small footprint deployment at two gates, but it will soon cover a broader span of gates, terminals, and use cases, supporting clear communication where it is needed most.
Learn more about other real-world Auracast™ deployments.
