Department of Telecommunications’ (DoT) technical arm Telecommunications Engineering Centre (TEC) is reportedly finalising a new draft report on direct-to-mobile (D2M) broadcasting and the standards to be adopted for the technology.

D2M (direct-to-mobile) technology will enable mobile phone users to watch TV on their devices, similar to watching TV via cable or DTH, The Economic Times reported.

The report is expected to be released in the coming weeks.

TEC has gathered inputs from various stakeholders regarding D2M broadcasting technology, including its features, deployment status, maturity, and standards.
In August last year, the government initiated discussions with various stakeholders, including telecom operators, to decide on implementing this technology.

Speaking with ET, an official said that an internal TEC committee is in the final stages of preparing the D2M report. The committee will decide whether to adopt ATSC 3.0 standards as part of national norms, facilitating the broadcast of TV channels and content directly to mobile phones, similar to terrestrial broadcasting on TV.

However, telecom firms, chipmakers, handset players, and network vendors have opposed a rushed decision on the issue, citing the lack of an ecosystem.

In their submissions to TEC, they emphasised that ATSC 3.0 has yet to gain significant global adoption. Additionally, 3GPP, the global developer of standards for mobile telecommunications, has incorporated broadcast features in its release 17 for 5G broadcast.

If TEC opts not to adopt ATSC 3.0 standards as part of national norms, manufacturers won’t be required to produce supported devices. Smartphone makers have said that the cost of a device will increase by $30 if the ATSC 3.0 standards are made mandatory.

The government introduced the concept of D2M technology, seeking convergence for content delivery through both broadcast and broadband, especially with the advent of 5G services. Various ministries and departments are collaborating on this initiative, including DoT, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Department of Science and Technology.

A pilot project will commence in 19 cities to test D2M technology, utilising Prasar Bharti’s infrastructure. Based on the pilot’s results, a decision will be made regarding a large-scale rollout.

TV currently reaches 210-220 Mn homes, while there are approximately 800 Mn smartphone users in India, expected to reach 1 Bn by 2026, as per Deloitte’s 2022 Global TMT (Technology, Media and Entertainment, Telecom) report. With over 80% of internet traffic being video, mobile has become an ideal platform for broadcast delivery alongside TV.