All India Radio starts free SMS news service

All India Radio starts free SMS news service

All India Radio starts free SMS news service

All India Radio (AIR) under the guidance of National Media Centre has launched a free SMS news service.

The free SMS news service will keep users updated about the current affairs. The SMS will include a headline and messages of up to 100 characters in length. It will also have some advertisement related content in the same message. AIR will send the message only to registered users and AIR has taken permission form Telecom Regulatory Authority of India for this.

Users can register their devices for the SMS service by sending an SMS 'AIRNWS' <-space-> 'NAME' to 8082080820 or users can also subscribe by giving a missed call to 08082080820.

The New India Express reported, "The service, which started as a pilot project six months ago and gathered over two Lakh subscribers, is now being thrown open to the public and intends to gather a 5-lakh subscriber base by the month end."

Along with the free SMS news service, a Bharat Nirman online publishing platform has also been launched. Bharat Nirman will provide an interactive platform which will keep the users updates with the latest United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government’s welfare programme and other updates. The online news portal will be launched in two languages i.e. English and Hindi and will be soon introduced in thirteen different regional Indian languages.

Archana Dutta (Director General AIR) stated that the free SMS news alerts would be sent to mobile phones thrice a day along with public utility messages