New Indian Mandate for FM Radio in Mobile Phones Will Benefit from Deployment of GeoBroadcast Solutions' MaxxCasting™ and ZoneCasting™
Enhanced Signal Strengths Will Allow for Portable Listening of Radio
With Geo-Targeted Emergency and Disaster Notifications
CHICAGO, May 9, 2023 – The government of India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) recent advisory that mandates FM radio be accessible through mobile phones will be enriched by the GeoBroadcast Solutions’ MaxxCasting™ and ZoneCasting™ systems recently approved for testing by Prasar Bharati, India’s public broadcaster.
The government directive was created to ensure that FM radio is available to the public during emergencies and disasters, whether they are at home or on the streets. MaxxCasting’s technology will enhance the broadcast signals and widen the reach of the largest radio network in the world, All India Radio. And, with the inclusion of ZoneCasting, the station’s signal can be subdivided – or zoned – with specific neighborhood content vital for listeners using their mobile phones anywhere they may be. FM-enabled mobile phones will offer the ability to portably listen to radio and receive important content that will support the Indian government’s new mandate.
"The Advisory by the Ministry is in line with the Indian Government's Mission to disseminate information to all corners of India and the Prime Minister's directive to ensure the population has access to news and information from the government,” said Dev Banad Viswanath, U.S. based attorney and President of GeoGlobal, Inc. the company that brought GeoBroadcast Solutions to India. “Our patented technologies will help this mission by strengthening FM radio signals and creating geotargeted areas for specific messaging, programming, and advertising. The two technologies will allow maximum clarity and signal strength as well as targeted programming to the vast number of listeners throughout the country. The Government’s directive is clear, and we are hopeful to be able to help in that endeavor."
Viswanath added that GBS intends to discuss with the government other compatible digital options that will enhance the clarity and strength of FM signals. In India radio is a valued medium with potential for robust revenue growth, providing news and entertainment to the vast population.
MaxxCasting is a combination of technologies with patented designs that enable FM broadcasters to enhance their signals with the deployment of a strategically located cluster of low to the ground, highly directionalized synchronized booster sites. MaxxCasting allows broadcasters to deliver robust, easy to receive signals that reach a broader portion of their service area and supports the accurate decoding of Nielsen PPM watermark to aid in accurate audience measurement. A ZoneCasting “zone” is simply a collection of MaxxCasting cell sites broadcasting localized content.
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About GeoBroadcast Solutions LLC
GeoBroadcast Solutions was formed in 2011 to develop the ZoneCasting™ geo-targeting platform. This platform has been successfully tested under special FCC authorization. Geo-targeted separation of the main channel audio of an FM radio station to its listeners allows the ability to split an FM signal into local “zones.” Out of this development effort came MaxxCasting™, which increases signal quality, PPM watermark decoding, and allows geographic targeting and fencing of radio screen advertising. It is successfully deployed and operational in many markets and growing rapidly. Additional information is available at geobroadcastsolutions.com.
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