Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by Fnord666 on Monday February 20 2017, @07:24AM   Printer-friendly
from the what's-the-catch? dept.

In a speech given to the Future of Radio and Audio Symposium (PDF), Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai encouraged smartphone makers to activate FM radio chips, but stopped short of supporting a government mandate to do so:

As you know, the vast majority of smartphones sold in the United States do, in fact, contain FM chips. The problem is that most of them aren't activated. As of last fall, only about 44% of the topselling smartphones in the United States have activated FM chips, and the percentage is lower in Canada. By comparison, in Mexico that number is about 80%. So it's not just that the United States and Canada could be doing better. We could be doing a lot better. It seems odd that every day we hear about a new smartphone app that lets you do something innovative, yet these modern-day mobile miracles don't enable a key function offered by a 1982 Sony Walkman.

You could make a case for activating chips on public safety grounds alone. The former head of our Federal Emergency Management Administration has spoken out in support of this proposal. The FCC has an expert advisory panel on public safety issues that has also advocated enabling FM radio chips on smartphones. It pointed out that, "[h]aving access to terrestrial FM radio broadcasts, as opposed to streaming audio services, may enable smartphone users to receive broadcast-based EAS alerts and other vital information in emergency situations—particularly when the wireless network is down or overloaded."

Moreover, most consumers would love to access some of their favorite content over-the-air, while using one-sixth of the battery life and less data. As more and more Americans use activated FM chips in their smartphones, consumer demand for smartphones with activated FM chips should continue to increase.

I'll keep speaking out about the benefits of activating FM chips. Having said that, as a believer in free markets and the rule of law, I cannot support a government mandate requiring activation of these chips. I don't believe the FCC has the power to issue a mandate like that, and more generally I believe it's best to sort this issue out in the marketplace. For despite the low numbers, we are seeing progress; in the last two years, the percentage of top-selling smartphones in the United States that have activated FM chips has risen from less than 25% to 44%.

Reported at Chicago Tribune and Recode.


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 1) by anubi on Tuesday February 21 2017, @06:42AM

    by anubi (2828) on Tuesday February 21 2017, @06:42AM (#469602) Journal

    Can you share which app you are using? I am ( failing ) to use the NextRadio app that came bundled in my BLU phone. Like a lot of the other crapware, its insisting I connect to Google Services before it will allow the radio to play. So, I just do not use it.

    I wanted to stay a bit aloof with this phone before I gave it ( via Google ) too much information, as if my constant barrage of unwanted advertising in my browser in a foreteller of what to expect when I want to take or place a call.

    I have a standalone FM/AM/Shortwave ( TECSUN ) battery receiver for emergencies, but easy accessibility to AM, FM, or TV is kinda a thing of the past for me. Although I think its a wonderful idea to have a cellphone be able to act as a radio or TV receiver, I also know there are those who will profit by reining me into their corral of allowable actions and things I can use a purchased device for. Which is also the main driver for my disdain for purchased goods. Its not the price, rather its like begging Dad for the car keys instead of having my own.

    The "purchased thing" only drives on approved roads with permission, whereas the "open source thing" is like an ATV that goes anywhere.

    I have to assume its some sort of open-source thing that will just turn on the FM receiver chip, get the setup from the keypad, and route the audio to the speaker.... and nothing else.

    --
    "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
  • (Score: 3, Informative) by dry on Wednesday February 22 2017, @02:55AM

    by dry (223) on Wednesday February 22 2017, @02:55AM (#469961) Journal

    It's the app that came with my Moto E, Canadian edition sold by Fido (Rogers) About says "Version 02.02.0084 of FM Radio, Copyright 2015 Motorola Mobility LLC. All rights reserved"
    It's a nice phone for the price, no crap on it, just stock Android apps and not too many as well as a few Motorola apps. Even gets updates.

    • (Score: 1) by anubi on Wednesday February 22 2017, @05:40AM

      by anubi (2828) on Wednesday February 22 2017, @05:40AM (#470011) Journal

      Thanks... Wish my BLU phone came with that instead of this thing that seems to want to connect to someone else before it will tune to an FM station.

      When I was playing around with mine, I considered my bundled app to be a useless piece of crapware junk whose sole function was to give yet someone else control over my phone.

      Seems that marketeers are of another race... the Ferringi.

      --
      "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]