FCC Urges Apple to Protect Safety of Americans by Activating FM Radio Chip in iPhones [Updated]

[flat five]

how many lives is the FM feature worth?

how many lives are going to be saved by FM radio?

maybe zero, right?
i mean, come on.. it's one way communication and all they're going to say is 'stay inside'.. what life saving info are you going to acquire via FM while in the middle of an emergency?

this almost sounds like a joke from the gov't.. we're in 2017 and they're talking about "FM needs to be on phones for the safety of the public" ?? seriously?

if i'm in an emergency scenario, i want GPS/internet/phone/two-way communication/etc... not freaking FM radio broadcast.. get real.

if the gov't is so concerned about our safety in this regard then worry about the generators for cell towers and what not.. when Irma hit S.Florida recently, some cell service went down (towers didn't fall down, just lost power).. most didn't.. the majority of people still had cell service during that storm..
so if they're truly concerned, get it so 95%+ cell towers are remaining powered during an even instead of the 75% or so during Irma.. (or nearly all of them in Puerto Rico/Maria)..

screw this FM thing.. it's so unhelpful during an emergency compared to other current technology that we all have..

----
but the original question again-- how many lives are going to be saved by FM radio being required on iPhones?

 

[michaelsviews]

Apple will argue tooth and nail and never ever comply with this request.

 

[rjohnstone]

but the original question again-- how many lives are going to be saved by FM radio being required on iPhones?

Is one not enough?
Oh that's right... this is about money, not lives.
What's the monetary value of a single life?

 

[dlx86]

Before Irma came through Florida I had to buy a battery powered FM/AM/NOAA radio for when the power goes out so we can stay updated. That really came in handy since when the power went out so did T-mobile so the phone was useless. (and thanks T-Mobile for that, why the hell aren't there generators in your towers? wtf) Anyway, if it was possible to get FM on my iPhone I'd be all for it, but if not whatever I already bought the NOAA radio.

 

[MadeTheSwitch]

TV and radio are antiquated forms of communication, if he wants to be advocating anything it should be free internet.

Guess what? If internet, electricity and phone service go out, you're living an antiquated form of life.

i mean, come on.. it's one way communication and all they're going to say is 'stay inside'.. what life saving info are you going to acquire via FM while in the middle of an emergency?

Lots of things. They could tell you which shelter to go to. Or that a tornado was coming. Or that a flash flood was about to happen. Or that a dam has broken upstream which you don't even know about yet.

Do you really think that radio has never saved a single life in all of history since it's invention?

 

[jeremiah256]

Or the life-saving information can be push messaged to your phone or send emergency alerts hyper-localized to your location via cellular. Time to dig yourself out of the past.

Yep. This is a BS proposal.

Use the same system for Amber Alerts, earthquake alerts, fires, 911, etc. You can conserve battery power on low power mode without constantly having the radio on. Reception for cellular is generally much more reliable than FM. You’re getting official government information from the horse’s mouth, not from DJ Bob. And if you’re traveling, you don’t have to worry about whether you’re on the right frequency or not.

 

[flat five]

Is one not enough?
Oh that's right... this is about money, not lives.
What's the monetary value of a single life?

ok, one life saved? cool

i'm just wanting to know how this life was saved / what info was provided via one-way FM that saved this life?

i feel like a lot of you all are speaking theoretically but when it comes down to it, there's very little life saving happening with a one-way audio broadcast...
ESPECIALLY if compared to something even as simple as two-way radio..CBs and what not.. and further yet, compared to handheld GPS/phone/internet that we all have..
those are the truly helpful things.. but you're sitting around saying FM is a life saver??

FM is old tech.. i'm sure you can find all the previous life savings that have occurred.. must be tons of stories about it? no?

 

[TheMountainLife]

I've always thought this feature was necessary. While remote camping 3 years ago there was a wildfire on the opposite side of the forest in southwestern Colorado, I wouldn't have known if I wasn't listening to the radio. I was only suspicious because I was encountering more wildlife than usual. Smoke wasn't very visible at that point.

Other great uses I imagine are hiking and back country skiing for weather forecasts and such. Global warming coupled with the increase likelihood of natural disasters and attacks, I wish this was available sooner. I still have a DTV antenna in event cable goes out.

I'd say a great solution to this is to partner with Sirius/XM and include satellite radio chips into future phones and allow the user to access weather/emergency channels though I'm sure that won't happen.

 

[flat five]

Do you really think that radio has never saved a single life in all of history since it's invention?

that's not really my point.. just by the way.

the point is-- if the govt is truly concerned about public safety in the event of a widespread emergency, they should make cell-service more storm proof.. which is completely possible.. and further-- is already the reality anyway.. the towers are designed to withstand disasters..

i'll phrase it like this--
if you were in the middle of an emergency, would you rather have an operational smart phone or an FM radio receiver?
..and to what degree do you prefer your choice over the other?

 

[Iconoclysm]

I don't disagree with enabling FM, but Ajit Pai pretending to be the hero here is laughable. He's been a major PITA for net neutrality for the past while and as such has zero credibility behind his voice. If you want FM to be enabled, find a better spokesperson than this joke.

He is a total piece of crap, to be honest.

 

[rjohnstone]

ok, one life saved? cool

i'm just wanting to know how this life was saved / what info was provided via one-way FM that saved this life?

i feel like a lot of you all are speaking theoretically but when it comes down to it, there's very little life saving happening with a one-way audio broadcast...
ESPECIALLY if compared to something even as simple as two-way radio..CBs and what not.. and further yet, compared to handheld GPS/phone/internet that we all have..
those are the truly helpful things.. but you're sitting around saying FM is a life saver??

FM is old tech.. i'm sure you can find all the previous life savings that have occurred.. must be tons of stories about it? no?

It saves lives the same way an NOAA radio does.
Emergency Broadcast System sends out information over every open frequency on an FM radio tower.
Information gets transmitted and people receive it.
2 way communication not required.

Cell towers have less broadcast range than even a low power radio stations FM transmitter. FM transmitters have generators to power them. Cell towers do not. To costly and they rely on a physical connection to send and receive data. Those physical lines tend to get knocked out in major storms.

 

[jeremiah256]

Is one not enough?
Oh that's right... this is about money, not lives.
What's the monetary value of a single life?

Let's not pretend that our entire existence isn't already measured by costs vs needs. America could provide for every child's daily nutritional needs, provide European maternity leave and care for parents, provide free education and health care, but it ain't going to happen, is it? Because the majority is not going to agree to the taxes that would be needed.

 

[flat five]

fwiw--

http://money.cnn.com/2017/09/08/technology/business/carriers-hurricanes

Each major carrier has emergency plans in place for before, during and after an emergency like a hurricane. The first step is getting service up and working as quickly as possible. They're already have experience deploying hardware to beef up networks for non-emergencies, like sporting events or the presidential inauguration.

To asses damage, some use drones to quickly get information from areas that might have been inaccessible by car due to flooding. AT&T, deployed more than 40 drones in the skies above southern Texas following Harvey, and had another 58 on standby. The drones captured high resolution footage of cell sites so engineers could see what needed repairing in real time. (AT&T is acquiring Time Warner, the parent company of CNN.)

Then companies send out repair crews and engineers to fix cell sites as quickly as possible, often before the bad weather has fully cleared up. Towers typically have backup power, but even if undamaged by the storm they may need a generator to continue operation.

While cell sites are being repaired, carriers typically have equipment ready to give people temporary coverage. They set up emergency command centers and deploy specialty mobile equipment that can create temporary cellular networks. They include generators and a number of mobile cell sites, repeaters and other devices with animal themed acronyms. In addition to COWs there are COLTS (Cells On Light Trucks), GOaTs (Generators on Trailers), HORSEs (HVACs on Roadside Equipment) and RATs (Repeaters on Trailers).

To make sure customers are all able to make calls, carriers often waive fees following an emergency. Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon all offered free calls and texts to some customers in the days following Harvey. AT&T said it was issuing credits to customers impacted by the storm.

While carriers scramble to restore service, there are some precautions people in affected areas can take to get the most out of their phones.

Unless it's for 911, try to text instead of making a phone call. It takes less battery power and is less likely to cause network congestion, preventing someone else from making an emergency call. If your phone isn't waterproof, protect it in an airtight plastic bag. Toss in any fully charged backup batteries if you have them, and use your phone sparingly. There's a good chance you'll have cell service before power.
​

..so yeah, more of that ^
..less of this FM radio baloney.

 

[rjohnstone]

that's not really my point.. just by the way.

the point is-- if the govt is truly concerned about public safety in the event of a widespread emergency, they should make cell-service more storm proof.. which is completely possible.. and further-- is already the reality anyway.. the towers are designed to withstand disasters..

i'll phrase it like this--
if you were in the middle of an emergency, would you rather have an operational smart phone or an FM radio receiver?
..and to what degree do you prefer your choice over the other?

The "government" doesn't own the cell tower infrastructure.
Cell towers rely on fiber and copper lines to operate and those tend to get beat up during major storms.
Look and Puerto Rico. Radios still work... zero cell service. Why? The infrastructure was wiped out.

 

[macfacts]

how many lives are going to be saved by FM radio?

maybe zero, right?
i mean, come on.. it's one way communication and all they're going to say is 'stay inside'.. what life saving info are you going to acquire via FM while in the middle of an emergency?
...

Info like where to get emergency water and food. Or instructions like needing to evacuate. Any more dumb questions?

 

[flat five]

Puerto Rico. Radios still work... zero cell service. Why? The infrastructure was wiped out.

great! radios work so they can broadcast HOPE to the country
https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2017/0928/In-Puerto-Rico-one-radio-station-is-broadcasting-hope

(in case you're missing the story-- all/most of the other radio stations are kaput)
-------
i can tell by your responses to me that you're completely missing my points.
oh well.

 

[macfacts]

... i'll phrase it like this--
if you were in the middle of an emergency, would you rather have an operational smart phone or an FM radio receiver?
..and to what degree do you prefer your choice over the other?

What can you do with a fully operational smartphone during an emergency beside use for entertainment?

 

[flat five]

What can you do with a fully operational smartphone during an emergency beside use for entertainment?

tell someone where you're at

..to name an obvious one.. about a hundred more too.


------
and i can't believe you just asked me this after saying what you said in #190

 

[PaulRustad007]

Why would anyone argue against adding a FREE new feature, that cannot hurt, but can only help save lives?
This feature ALREADY is built into every iPhone ever made, the impact on battery life should be minimal, as there is no transmission.

Not every phone....7 and 8's do not have an FM tuner......my old ipod video does though......and I think the nano....but you need headsets to tune in the signal.....

 

[MiamiC70]

Amidst renewed pressure from the National Association of Broadcasters, FCC chairman Ajit Pai has now issued a statement urging Apple to activate the FM radio capabilities built into the wireless modem of every iPhone.

Pai said he hopes Apple will "reconsider its position" following Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, which have devastated parts of the United States, including Florida and Texas, and Caribbean islands like Barbuda, Dominica, and Puerto Rico.

Powerful storms can leave thousands or millions of people without power or cellular service for weeks or even months, and over-the-air FM radio can provide vital access to weather alerts and other life-saving information.

Pai added that "it is time for Apple to step up to the plate and put the safety of the American people first."

His full statementai has advocated for the activation of the FM tuner in all smartphones before, but this is the first time he has called out Apple by name.

A study by the National Association of Broadcasters last year found only 44 percent of the top-selling smartphones in the United States had FM radio capabilities enabled. 94 percent of the unactivated devices were iPhones.

Both the Qualcomm and Intel chips that enable Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity in every iPhone have a built-in FM tuner that would allow people to listen to FM radio over the air. Apple has not enabled the functionality, forcing users to use an app to stream FM radio over Wi-Fi or cellular data.

Apple hasn't revealed why it keeps the FM radio functionality disabled. Some critics suggest it could be to avoid losing Apple Music subscriptions, but the real reason is probably deeper than that.

Update: MacRumors has received the following statement from an Apple spokesperson:We'll update this article if the FCC responds to Apple's statement.

Article Link: FCC Urges Apple to Protect Safety of Americans by Activating FM Radio Chip in iPhones

Ok Apple. Then activate on the 6, 5, 4, 3 and 1 series.

 

[rjohnstone]

great! radios work so they can broadcast HOPE to the country
https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2017/0928/In-Puerto-Rico-one-radio-station-is-broadcasting-hope

(in case you're missing the story-- all/most of the other radio stations are kaput)
-------
i can tell by your responses to me that you're completely missing my points.
oh well.

You point is irrelevant.
Claiming FM broadcasts serve no purpose in an emergency is obtuse thinking at best.
PR got hit hard. Being able to receive ANY information about relief efforts, locations of shelters or supplies, or just what the weather will be like, is better than no information.
If you actually read the article, they're using the FM broadcast just as I described above. Adding a little hope to the broadcast is a nice touch to a place that is pretty much destroyed.

 

[techfreak23]

Even if Apple had the radio in the 7 and 8, you wouldn’t be able to use it if Apple enabled it because you would need headphones to act as an antenna... anyone remember that the iPod Nano has FM but only works over wired headphones and not Bluetooth?

 

[flat five]

You point is irrelevant.

ok.

(i mean, that's what i felt like when trying to talk to you.. but now that you've said it outright, i can see it's a hopeless conversation..
either i agree with you or i shut up since my words don't matter anyway.. got it.)

 

[IGotOne]

Enable it only when there is no wi-fi or cellular signal if Apple is so concerned about people using it for music. That way it would only really be useful in an emergency. Or even better, disable other functions of the phone while FM is turned on (like a special Airplane mode).

That way everyone gets what they want

 

[triptolemus]

First off, where would they charge it?

In this scenario, people are undoubtedly using the phone as a torch and now they want a radio, so if Apple provides an app to overclock the internals, we can fry up some sausages on the screen too, cos phones have the capability to overheat. What a stupid idea, why are smartphones the thing everyone turns to to solve all of life's problems nowadays? What happened to smartpeople? With the chance of sounding like my grandparents generation, what did people do before smartphones, how did we survive?

Fair enough, if Apple develop that side of the antennae as a feature for people to listen to FM, but requesting it as a safety feature is a joke.

How about if you live in a hurricane area, and can afford a $700+ phone, you spend $50 on an friggin' FM radio and torch and stop expecting everyone else to come up with a solution to nature?

This x 1000.

Not only is it technically infeasible to cram an FM receiver into an iPhone (for a number of reasons), it is an unreliable and ineffective solution.

If you need an FM radio because you live in an area prone to natural disasters, get yourself prepared and obtain the correct equipment to handle the situation. Put your phone away.