New Rules in Mexico Unlock FM Chip on Smartphones eMarketer | |
go to original June 8, 2017 |
Mexico has a well-documented love affair with radio. There are more than 1,300 FM radio stations in the country, and internet users spend an average of 2 hours 50 minutes listening to radio each day, according to April 2017 data from AMIPCI (Asociación Mexicana de Internet). Yet very few do so on their smartphones.
That’s all about to change.
In late April, Mexico’s Federal Telecommunications Institute approved a new rule that requires all smartphone manufacturers to enable the technology that allows the device to pick up FM radio signals.
The move came after months of pressure from the National Chamber of Radio and Television Industry (CIRT), and makes Mexico the first country in the world to enact such legislation.
CIRT noted that most smartphones are already designed with a built-in FM radio receiver. Yet in order for smartphone users to get radio signals on their devices, the receivers must be activated by manufacturers.
During its lobbying effort, CIRT noted that in cases of emergencies or natural disasters, mobile networks may stop working altogether. Under these circumstances, FM-enabled smartphones would allow government agencies to send out alerts to citizens.
The effort to enable smartphones’ FM radio capabilities could spread beyond Mexico’s borders.
Read the rest at eMarketer
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