Next-Generation 911 needs funding and a standard definition that accounts for how broadband will transform first-responder and 911-center operations, APCO said in a Monday report. Recommendations include launching a federal grant program to fund upgrades to broadband technology and ending some states’ practice of diverting 911 fees to unrelated purposes. NG-911 should be defined as “a secure, nationwide, interoperable, standards-based, all-IP emergency communications infrastructure enabling end-to-end transmission of all types of data, including voice and multimedia communications from the public to an Emergency Communications Center,” APCO said. Future integration between NG-911 and FirstNet’s national public safety network will enable seamless broadband communications between first responders and public safety answering points, while smartphones and other IP-enabled devices will allow the public to send multimedia directly to PSAPs, the report said. “PSAPs of the future will be a nerve center, managing data-rich communications via broadband technology with 9-1-1 callers and first responders.”

The recent introduction of GoPro's QuikStories app will be “game-changing for our customers and for our business,” said CEO Nicholas Woodman on a Thursday earnings call. The app automatically copies ready-to-share GoPro camera footage to a smartphone and is "our biggest leap forward in ease of use since the invention of the GoPro itself,” said Woodman. GoPro’s biggest market opportunity “may be to serve as an untethered lens for the smartphone,” and that’s now possible with the QuikStories app, he said: “Consider there are more than 700 million smartphone users on Instagram alone. We believe that better serving these users and others like them represents a significant opportunity to grow our total addressable market.”

The installed base of iPhones in the U.S​. consists “virtually entirely of phones sold in the past 33 months,” said a Thursday Consumer Intelligence Research Partners report. The U.S. iPhone installed base reached 141 million units in the fiscal quarter ended July 1, compared with 136 million units at the end of the March quarter and 124 million units in the year-ago quarter, CIRP said. Larger phones are making up a bigger share of the mix as “Plus” versions in the 6, 6S and 7 series total 53 million units, it said, for 38 percent of the mix, up from 29 percent as of the June 2016 quarter. “After over three years, and after initial skepticism, larger-format Plus model phone market acceptance is firmly established,” said analyst Josh Lowitz, noting slowing growth overall in the category. The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus have “meaningful share” and the iPhone SE share grew slightly in the quarter to 6 percent of the installed base, said Lowitz. As of July 1, the installed base grew 14 percent relative to the June 2016 quarter, compared with a year ago when the installed iPhone base grew 28 percent over the prior year quarter, said CIRP. The slowdown “shouldn’t surprise anyone,” said analyst Mike Levin, noting the 141 million iPhones owned by U.S. consumers represent half the U.S. adult and teen population. Operating system switches are at an all-time low, Levin said. CIRP based findings on a survey of 500 U.S. Apple customers, conducted July 1-13, who purchased an iPhone, iPad or Mac from April to July.

Representatives of CTIA and member companies met with FCC Public Safety Bureau staff to discuss the progress toward standards on enhanced wireless emergency alerts, CTIA said. Among the topics was “technical feasibility of geo-targeting and, relatedly, geo-fencing, as well as whether software responsible for such processing would be an application or a pre-installed functionality, and how such software would be updated,” said an ex parte filing in docket 15-91. “Parties also discussed network congestion issues associated with mobile-software based geo-fencing.” Another topic was rules for informing subscribers on the alerts. Industry representatives “noted the delicate balance between providing potential customers with point-of-sale information relating to WEA, and avoiding customer fatigue by limiting such disclosures to the most essential information,” CTIA said. AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, U.S. Cellular and Qualcomm were represented, the association said.

Concerned DOJ isn't fully informing courts about how cell-site simulators​ work and the technology's impact on Americans, four senators sent a letter Tuesday to Attorney General Jeff Sessions asking about the department's obligation on the issue. Sens. Al Franken, D-Minn., Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said courts that approve surveillance orders for the technology, also known as StingRays, "may not realize the extent to which this technology may invade the privacy of Americans." The senators said the devices "send probing signals" to nearby residences, may disrupt networks and might prevent 911 calls from being made. When courts get the FBI's warrant application for use of StingRays, they may "incorrectly believe" the devices "merely incidentally" get signals from nearby cellphones when it's much more invasive, said the senators. They also disputed the agency's assertion that any service disruption caused by the technology is "brief and temporary." The senators asked Sessions to re-examine DOJ policy and require a complete description of the technology, how it works and its on cellular networks. They want a response by Aug. 25. DOJ said it received the letter but declined further comment. In February, bipartisan House and Senate bills were introduced that would establish rules around the use of cell-site simulators (see 1702150036). HR-1062/S-395 are still in committee.

The FCC is moving forward on issues important for the deaf and hard of hearing, but regulation often isn't the answer, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai told a Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Inc. (TDI) meeting in Bethesda, Maryland, Thursday: “Advancing the public interest doesn’t always require adopting new rules.” A key to disability access is encouraging the telecom industry to make “accessibility a priority, rather than an afterthought,” he said. One of the most “encouraging developments” is that devices like smartphones have begun incorporating accessibility principles “from the get-go,” Pai said. “Accessibility by design helps those with disabilities stay as current as everyone else when digital, Internet, mobile, and other technologies are developed. It’s also so much easier and cheaper than retrofitting products after the fact.” Pai reflected on how much things have changed since 1968, when TDI launched: “You were using 18-wheelers to schlep discarded teletypewriters that weighed hundreds of pounds to the homes of deaf and hard-of-hearing people. You were doing it so that your community could have telephone access, which everyone else had been enjoying for decades.” Today, people have “mini-computers that fit in our pockets,” he said. Two years ago, then-Chairman Tom Wheeler spoke to TDI (see 1508200044) at its last major meeting. Pai’s comments were later posted.

Cochlear announced the Food and Drug Administration has approved a behind-the-ear hearing implant sound processor made for the iPhone that allows users to stream sound from a compatible iPhone, iPad or iPod touch directly to their Nucleus implant. Users will be able to control, monitor and customize hearing on their device through an app, said the company. The approval of the Nucleus 7 sound processor is a "turning point for people with hearing loss, opening the door for them to make phone calls, listen to music in high-quality stereo sound, watch videos and have FaceTime calls streamed directly to their cochlear implant,” said Cochlear CEO Chris Smith. With the commercial availability of the Nucleus 7, Cochlear also is offering a Made for iPhone smart bimodal technology combining a cochlear implant in one ear and a hearing aid in the other to provide synchronized streaming to both ears from a compatible Apple device. Availability is slated for September.

Smartphone sales growth in China reversed course in Q2, slipping 3 percent from Q2 2916 to 113 million shipments, said a Tuesday Canalys Research report. The drop followed six consecutive growth quarters, said Canalys. Xiaomi replaced Apple, which has been counting on China as a growth market for iPhone sales, as No. 4 smartphone vendor, shipping just under 15 million phones, up 60 percent from Q2 2016, said the report. Huawei shipped over 23 million phones in Q2 to lead the market for the second consecutive quarter, and Oppo ranked second, shipping just over 21 million units. Vivo, in third place, shipped more than 16 million smartphones, said Canalys. Samsung also had shipment declines, it said. “Xiaomi still offers the best value in the Chinese market, and it remains the preferred choice for price-conscious consumers,” said analyst Lucio Chen. The online channel is key for Xiaomi, and its growing network of “experience stores” will be a threat to Oppo’s and Vivo’s store dominance, said Chen. On the most recent earnings call, Apple CEO Tim Cook downplayed reports of a slowing China market, saying combined FY 2017 Q1 and Q2 performance was much improved over the second half of last year, driven by iPhone 7 Plus sales.

AT&T launched 5G service in Indianapolis and Austin, and expects to be in 20 markets by year's end, executives said on a Q2 earnings call Tuesday. It's testing LTE licensed assisted access -- combining licensed and unlicensed spectrum -- in San Francisco, where users are seeing 750 Mbps peak speeds -- and it will expand testing in San Francisco and into Indianapolis in coming weeks. It said it still expects to close on its Time Warner buy by year's end, and its integration team is close to done with its advertising and bundling plan. For the quarter, AT&T had consolidated revenue of $39.8 billion, and had 2.3 million wireless net adds in the U.S. and 8,000 total broadband net adds. It said it had total video subscription losses of 199,000, with growth at DirecTV Now offsetting some traditional TV subscriber declines. CEO Randall Stephenson said AT&T soon will unveil the names of additional states that agreed to opt in to FirstNet, beyond the five revealed so far. “The timeline has been set and the opt-in process is underway,” he said. States are eager to get started on construction of the network “and so are we,” he said. Stephenson said AT&T will look at all of its options as construction starts.

Global Q2 smartphone sales reached 347 million units, the second-highest quarter, said a Monday report from GfK. Growth was strongest in the emerging Asia region at 13 percent, followed by Central and Eastern Europe at 11 percent and Latin America at 10 percent, GfK said. North American smartphone sales were 47.4 million, up 6 percent from the year-ago quarter, and revenue jumped 15 percent to $18.7 billion, it said. GfK forecasts the region’s smartphone demand will total 203 million units for the year, a rise of 2 percent year-on-year. Global Q2 smartphone market value grew 9 percent over Q2 2016 to $109 billion on higher average selling prices, it said. In China, unit sales were roughly flat at 110 million units, but dollar value grew 8 percent to $35 billion, said the research firm. "Consumers are willing to pay more for their smartphone as they seek a better user experience,” said analyst Yotaro Noguchi. Despite high penetration levels, GfK forecasts smartphone demand will continue to have year-on-year growth through 2018 “as innovation from smartphone vendors keeps replacement cycles from lengthening."