AT&T has requested that all its handset manufacturer partners include functional FM radios in their Android smartphones by 2016.
Further, the company is asking its OEM partners to enable any FM radios that may be dormant inside existing handsets.
FM radios are often included on modules that bundle other radios, such as Bluetooth, WiFi, and cellular. The move means AT&T’s Android customers will be able to listen to local FM radio via their smartphones through apps, such as NextRadio.
The National Association of Broadcasters applauded the move, saying,
“[This] marks a new beginning in mobile technology with the agreement by a global iconic brand, AT&T, to light up the FM receiver chips in all of its future Android smartphones.”
NextRadio, which makes it easy to find an listen to local FM radio stations, competes with myriad other third-party music services on smartphones.
