Norway has become the first country in the world to switch off national radio FM broadcasts, despite widespread scepticism from citizens about the change. 

National broadcasters across the Scandinavian country will now only broadcast using digital audio, which allows for better sound quality and more channels at a fraction of the cost. Private radio stations can still broadcast in FM. 

The shift, which was announced late last year and began in January, was finally completed this week as remote regions in the country's north received their final public radio broadcasts over the FM wavelength. 

Making the shift has proven controversial with many Norwegians, who say DAB coverage is not widespread enough to warrant the switch and that car drivers with incompatible radios stand to lose out. 

A survey at the start of the year found that two out of every three Norwegians opposed the switch. 

“It’s a big change and we have to give listeners time to adapt to digital radio,” national radio broadcasting chief Ole Jørgen Torvmark said in a statement. 

Although Norwegians seem sceptical about the shift, the country is not alone in making the change. Switzerland, Denmark and the UK have all said they intend to follow and phase out FM national broadcasting by 2020.