FCC chairman Ajit Pai called on Apple today to turn on FM radio chips found inside older iPhone models. The head of the top communications regulatory agency in the states, Pai says that activating the chips could allow Americans to gain access to life-saving information when a hurricane or earthquake wipes out wireless networks. According to Pai, Apple is the only major smartphone manufacturer who has yet to activate these chips.
However, in a statement, Apple said that the 2016 models (Apple iPhone 7 and Apple iPhone 7 Plus) and the 2017 variants (Apple iPhone 8, Apple iPhone 8 Plus and the Apple iPhone X do not employ FM chips. In addition, Apple says that these models do not feature antenna that will support FM signals. As a result, Apple says that "it is not possible to enable FM reception in these products." It isn't clear whether Apple will activate the FM chips found on earlier iPhone models that pre-date the iPhone 7.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai wants to activate FM chips in smartphones in case of an outage to the cellular system
The FCC itself is not clear on whether it has the authority to demand that companies activate the FM chips inside their handsets. And while the FCC has not commented on Apple's statement about the lack of FM chips inside its newer models, chairman Pai said that "I hope the company will reconsider its position, given the devastation wrought by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria."
Cell towers can be destroyed in natural disasters which would make FM transmissions a great back up system. The recent series of hurricanes left 90% of Puerto Rico's cell towers down while 67% of the towers in the U.S. Virgin Islands are not working. In those regions, activating FM chips inside handsets could be the only way to get important information disseminated to a scared and shaken public.
Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.
A discussion is a place, where people can voice their opinion, no matter if it
is positive, neutral or negative. However, when posting, one must stay true to the topic, and not just share some
random thoughts, which are not directly related to the matter.
Things that are NOT allowed:
Off-topic talk - you must stick to the subject of discussion
Offensive, hate speech - if you want to say something, say it politely
Spam/Advertisements - these posts are deleted
Multiple accounts - one person can have only one account
Impersonations and offensive nicknames - these accounts get banned
Moderation is done by humans. We try to be as objective as possible and moderate with zero bias. If you think a
post should be moderated - please, report it.
Have a question about the rules or why you have been moderated/limited/banned? Please,
contact us.
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed: