Centre issues ‘advisory’ to mobile phone manufacturers to include an FM radio receiver in all handsets

The Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has issued an advisory to all mobile phone manufacturers in India, requesting that they make sure that the FM radio receiver function is not disabled in phones sold in the country. This is done in order to clear up any confusion regarding compliance standards regarding the government-backed digital information network, the FM radio.

The advisory comes only weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched 91, 100-watt FM transmitters to improve radio connectivity throughout the country. The new phone manufacturers who do not already offer the FM radio feature have also been instructed by the Union government to add it to the mobile handsets that will be sold in India.

All mobile phone manufacturers and brands are to get an advisory, according to a directive from the Union government to the Indian Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) and Manufacturers’ Association for Information Technology (MAID). The advisory was issued in response to concerns that certain cell phone makers were omitting the FM radio from their newest models.

All phones in the past, including smartphones, have an FM radio built in. The Union governance has insisted that the FM broadcast is a dependable communication system, especially during natural disasters when it acts as an essential link between local government and the general people. Using FM broadcast is also thought to be the most efficient way to spread early warnings and encourage people to take precautions for their own safety.

The Centre has also stressed the significance of the huge FM transmitter network and FM radio that are accessible in India, which were crucial in that nation’s attempts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

The network of transmitters with All India Radio has expanded from 524 to 615, covering 73.5 percent of the country’s population. The recently launched FM Transmitters are located in 91 places throughout 84 districts in 20 states.

A proposal to place 63 additional FM transmitters across the nation has also been approved by the Centre in addition to the aforementioned. The Centre asserts that the expansion of FM services in rural areas is due to the extensive reach of FM radio service and the accessibility of mobile phones with FM receivers.