The ministry of information and broadcasting (I&B) is planning a pilot test for direct-to-mobile (D2M) broadcast transmissions. However, talks of the pilot remain at early stages for a technology that has so far received considerable pushback from telecom operators and other technology companies.
D2M broadcasting, as defined in a paper by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur in 2022, proposes a mechanism for multimedia broadcasting without relying on data connectivity. The mechanism is already in use for emergency broadcasts of government notifications, but the latest proposal showcases its use in bringing television and multimedia content broadcasting directly to smartphones, thereby bringing content-driven services to users who still do not have direct access to mobile data.
Information and broadcasting secretary Apurva Chandra said that talks of a pilot D2M broadcasting project have commenced “across 19 cities using the digital terrestrial transmission network of Prasar Bharati.”
Industry challenges, however, will persist. “The pilot launch will be the first step—you need a certain chip in devices. We’ve to see how that adoption takes place. Then, we’ve to see how much content is being consumed—we’ll take all of this into consideration before launching at a mass scale. As of now, we’re not mandating any smartphone company or telecom operator, since this is only a pilot,” Chandra added.
The move means that in order to support the technology, smartphones will require either a specialized chip, or an add-on dongle. Bengaluru-headquartered Saankhya Labs on Tuesday unveiled one such chip, claiming to hold the potential to tap millions of users for D2M broadcasting.
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