Notify policy framework for digital radio broadcasting: TRAI

The government should notify a policy framework for digital radio broadcasting in India in a time-bound manner with a clear roadmap for roll-out of services to enable smooth transition from analog to digital mode, the TRAI said today.
The government should grant fiscal incentives in the form of lower taxes to manufacturers of digital radio recievers for three years after declaring the policy, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) suggested.
It also recommended auctioning of 200 khz bandwith spectrum in 'VHF-II' band in phases for providing digital radio broadcasting services.
Presently, radio signals are largely transmitted in analog mode which is inefficient and suffers from operational restrictions as compared to digital mode, a TRAI statement read.

The authority hoped that the recommendations would enable smooth transition from analog to digital radio broadcasting services.