United Methodist Communications Urges FCC to Require FM Chips in Smartphones

United Methodist Communications urged the FCC to require mobile phone manufacturers and operators to provide access to FM radio through mobile devices. It’s a matter of public safety “in addition to convenience for individual users of these devices,” UMC General Secretary Larry Hollon said in a letter to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler. When residential power is out, cell service and the Internet are also out, he said. The only battery device may be a smartphone, “but it is useless without cell service,” he said. With an activated radio chip, a smartphone will function similar to a transistor radio, “providing people with information essential for survival,” he said. CEA and CTIA are among those that have long opposed FCC mandates for requiring FM chips in smartphones [Ref:1208070001]. CEA representatives didn't immediately comment on the UMC letter. CTIA continues "to believe consumer preference, not government mandates, should drive decisions about mobile device functionalities," said Jot Carpenter, vice president-government affairs, by email. "Some consumers value radio capabilities and there are devices available to meet their needs. At the same time, other consumers have no interest in those radio capabilities. The current marketplace serves both segments well.”