Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today commissioned Low Power FM Transmitters of capacity of 100 Watt at 91 locations. These transmitters of have been installed in 84 districts of 20 states. With this the network of transmitters with All India Radio has increased from 524 to 615. The addition will further boost the coverage of AIR to 73.5% of the population of the country.
Left Wing Extremism hit areas, Aspirational Districts and border areas of the country have been given priority for the installation of the transmitters.
Clear sound quality and easy availability of FM receiver equipped mobile phones has increased the demand of FM radio service in the country. In another major step towards meeting this demand and capacity building of the organisation, Government has further approved installation of 63 more FM transmitters in the country.
The Prime Minister congratulated All India Radio on this momentous occasion. Speaking about the significance of the addition, the Prime Minister said that today marks a significant step in the expansion of FM services by All India Radio in the direction of becoming All India FM. He underlined that the beginning of 91 FM transmitters by All India Radio is like a present for 85 districts and 2 crore people of the nation.
The Prime Minister said that the government is continuously working for the democratization of technology. “It is important that no Indian should feel scarcity of opportunity if India has to rise up to its full potential”, the Prime Minister said. Making modern technology accessible and affordable is key to this. He explained this by mentioning optical fiber to all the villages and the cheapest data cost that has eased access to information. He said that this has given a new push to digital entrepreneurship in villages. Similarly, UPI has helped small businesses and street vendors to access banking services.