Auracast standards in 2026: what is published and what is coming

At a glance

The Bluetooth SIG: how a broadcast works, and rules for venues

There is no specification called "Auracast". Auracast is the Bluetooth SIG's trademark for products that pass Bluetooth qualification for a role in the Public Broadcast Profile, part of Bluetooth LE Audio. That profile defines how a broadcast announces itself, whether it is encrypted, and whether it carries Standard Quality (16 or 24 kHz) or High Quality (48 kHz) audio. The Broadcast Audio URI defines what goes inside an Auracast QR code.

For venues, the SIG's rules are about quality and trademarks, not measurements:

• A public transmitter "must always transmit at least one Standard Quality Public Broadcast Audio Stream", and a location that promotes Auracast must "make available a Standard Quality version of any audio" (transmitter guide).
• Venues are encouraged to register. The registration form says to register once the broadcast "is fully deployed and accessible", and registration grants a license to use the Auracast trademarks for that location. The license asks the venue to keep a level of quality that meets "generally accepted industry standards" for wireless audio broadcasting, without saying what those are.
• The SIG "will soon publish a deployment guide for public locations" with best practice and the trademark requirements. It had not been published when we last checked.

What we did not find from the SIG: any program that certifies installers or installations, or any pass/fail numbers for coverage or audio quality in a venue.

IEC 63087:2026: providing and assessing any assistive listening system

Published on 18 September 2026 by IEC Technical Committee 100, IEC 63087:2026 replaces IEC 63087-1:2021. It sets out requirements for providing assistive listening systems for communication, entertainment and education in public, private, domestic and public transport settings. It covers every technology, and its overview annex includes audio broadcasting to hearing aids in the 2.4 GHz band.

From its published table of contents, it includes system design, venue provision (signs, staff training, monitoring and maintenance), a clause on compliance, testing and certification, an assessment report annex covering items such as coverage, frequency response, signal-to-noise, latency and speech intelligibility, and an example certificate. We have not read its requirement text and numbers; they are in the purchased standard.

IEC 60118-17: the one written for Auracast-type systems

IEC 60118-17, "Assistive listening system for hearing aid users based on 2,4 GHz audio streaming", is being prepared by IEC TC 29 (the hearing aid committee) with a forecast of November 2027. Its published scope covers hearing aids as receivers, transmitter properties, methods for verifying system performance, a coverage measurement method and audio signal levels. It "applies to single transmitter systems only."

Until it is published, no product or installation can claim to meet it. The Center for Hearing Access says it is "too soon to say" whether each installation can meet the ADA, partly because the international standards are not expected until late 2027.

For comparison, hearing loops have had their own performance standard, IEC 60118-4, for years.

Codes of practice and building codes

• UK industry code (ISCVE, 2023). The only freely available document we found that lists Auracast test items: frequency response, audio level, signal-to-noise, coverage (signal strength and packet loss), latency, network performance, RF interference and a subjective check. It was written before any Auracast system was installed, and it gives no Auracast pass marks. It also expects a certificate for the venue.
• US: 2010 ADA Standards. Where assistive listening is required, how many receivers, neckloops, signs and receiver performance. Bluetooth is not mentioned. See what the ADA asks.
• England: Approved Document M, Volume 2. Asks for "a hearing enhancement system" in rooms for meetings, lectures, classes, performances, sport and films, and at some reception counters; names "induction loop, infrared and radio".
• Canada: National Building Code 2020. In assembly buildings, classrooms, auditoria, meeting rooms and theaters over 100 m² need an assistive listening system, and it must "encompass the entire seating area". A 2025 edition has since been published; check which edition your province uses.
• Australia: National Construction Code, D4D8. In both the 2022 and 2025 editions: coverage of at least 80 % of the floor area for a loop and 95 % for "a system requiring the use of receivers or the like". States adopt each edition on their own timetable.

None of these names Auracast or Bluetooth, so an Auracast system is held to the same requirements as any other.

What this means right now

• If someone says a product or installation is "certified" for Auracast assistive listening, ask: certified by whom, to which published document?
• Plan to the SIG's rules (Standard Quality, clear names, registration) and to your local accessibility law.
• Keep a written commissioning record. The UK code asks for a test record and certificate, IEC 63087 includes an assessment report, and a good record will make it easier to show performance against IEC 60118-17 when it arrives.

Common questions

Is there an official Auracast certification for venues?

Not that we know of. Venues register with the Bluetooth SIG, and products go through Bluetooth qualification. We found no program that certifies venues or installers.

When will there be a proper standard for Auracast assistive listening?

IEC 60118-17 is forecast for November 2027. IEC 63087:2026, published in September 2026, already sets requirements for any assistive listening system, including an assessment report, and its annexes cover 2.4 GHz streaming. See also our commissioning guide.

Does the ADA mention Auracast?

No. The 2010 ADA Standards predate Auracast. They define an assistive listening system as one that works by "induction loop, radio frequency, infrared, or direct-wired equipment", and their advisory note describes induction loop, infrared and FM systems.