WASHINGTON: Federal Communications Commission chairman Ajit Pai on Thursday urged Apple Inc to activate FM radio chips installed in iPhones in the wake of major hurricanes.

Pai said Apple is the one major phone manufacturer that has resisted doing so. Pai said when wireless networks go down during a natural disaster, smartphones with activated FM chips can allow Americans to get access to life-saving information. 

?It is time for Apple to step up to the plate and put the safety of the American people first.? 

An Apple spokesman did not immediately comment Thursday.