Indian Government Makes FM Radio Mandatory on All Smartphones

The Indian government issued an advisory this week for smartphone manufacturers to include FM Radio in all smartphones sold in the country.

The advisory was initiated by the Indian Cellular Electronics Association (ICEA) along with the Manufacturers' Association for Information Technology (MAIT), who made this suggestion to the Indian Government.

Acting on the advisory, the Indian IT Ministry in turn told smartphone manufacturers to ensure that FM Radio is present on all smartphones sold in the country. The government made it a point to mention that FM Radio should neither be disabled nor deactivated from smartphones by manufacturers. Further, manufacturers need to ensure that FM Radio is present in the device.

Many smartphone manufacturers have been letting go of the radio of late because of the reduction in the number of people actively listening to the radio. However, for the remote and poorer population, radio is the only means of receiving communication from the government.

The government stated that FM radio is a low-cost and effective mode of communication for it to reach all strata of society, especially those in rural and remote areas. Furthermore, since smartphone penetration is very deep, low-income populations and those in remote areas are more likely to own a smartphone than a standalone radio device.

FM radio has long since provided a straightforward source of information and entertainment services for the poorer populations in rural and remote locations. Additionally, as seen during the COVID pandemic, FM radio is an extremely useful tool for the quick dissemination of information to large populations.

The IT Ministry referenced the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), which already suggested the importance of radio in phones especially during natural calamities or emergencies.

The ITU also added that radio is one of the oldest and most reliable means of communication and hence must not be ignored as a vital tool for communication.