Mumbai : The Ford Motor company has said that it plans to make HD digital radio available on nearly every 2008 model year Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicle as a dealer-installed option, giving motorists improved reception and more radio content. Using digital signals, HD radio provides better reception and CD-quality sound on FM stations and FM-quality sound on AM stations. The format also provides more than one radio broadcast on a single channel, providing listeners with more music and talk.

More than 1,500 radio stations in the United States currently broadcast in HD digital sound.Ford Motor Co., which has rolled out Sync, its in-vehicle communication and entertainment system developed with Microsoft Corp., said HD radio would offer another new entertainment option sought by tech-savvy consumers.The option will be available for about $279 for standard HD radio, or $299 for HD radio with iPod compatibility. There is no monthly subscription fee and the installation will take about 30 minutes and cost $40 to $50, he said.