Direct To Mobile Technology

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and India’s
public service broadcaster Prasar Bharati are exploring the

feasibility of a technology that allows to broadcast video and
other forms of multimedia content directly to mobile phones,
without needing an active internet connection.
The technology, called ‘direct-to-mobile’ (D2M)
broadcasting, promises to improve consumption of
broadband and utilisation of spectrum.
What is direct-to-mobile broadcasting?

The technology is based on the convergence of broadband and broadcast, using which mobile
phones can receive terrestrial digital TV. It would be similar to how people listen to FM radio on
their phones, where a receiver within the phone can tap into radio frequencies. Using D2M,
multimedia content can also be beamed to phones directly.
The idea behind the technology is that it can possibly be used to directly broadcast content related
to citizen-centric information and can be further used to counter fake news, issue emergency
alerts and offer assistance in disaster management, among other things. Apart from that, it can be
used to broadcast live news, sports etc. on mobile phones. More so, the content should stream
without any buffering whatsoever while not consuming any internet data.
What could be the consumer and business impact of this?

For consumers, a technology like this would mean that they would be able to access multimedia
content from Video on Demand (VoD) or Over The Top (OTT) content platforms without having to
exhaust their mobile data, and more importantly, at a nominal rate. The technology will also allow
people from rural areas, with limited or no internet access, to watch video content.
For businesses, one of the key benefits of the technology is that it can enable telecom service
providers to offload video traffic from their mobile network onto the broadcast network, thus
helping them to decongest valuable mobile spectrum. This will also improve usage of mobile
spectrum and free up bandwidth which will help reduce call drops, increase data speeds etc.
What are the possible challenges to the technology’s rollout?

While still at a nascent stage, Prasar Bharati’s CEO has said bringing key stakeholders like mobile
operators onboard will be the “biggest challenge” in launching D2M technology on a wide scale.
Information and Broadcasting Ministry Secretary Apurva Chandra said a mass roll out of the
technology will entail changes in infrastructure and some regulatory changes.
What is the government doing to facilitate D2M technology?

key stakeholders like mobile operators onboard will be the “biggest challenge” in launching
D2M technology on a wide scale The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has set up a
committee to study the feasibility of a spectrum band for offering broadcast services directly
to users’ smartphones, DoT Secretary K Rajaraman said on Wednesday. “Band 526-582
MHz is envisaged to work in coordination with both mobile and broadcast services. DoT has
set up a committee to study this band,” he said. At the moment, this band is used by the
Ministry of Information & Broadcasting across the country for TV transmitters.Public service
broadcaster Prasar Bharati had last year announced a collaboration with IIT Kanpur to test
the feasibility of the technology.
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has set up a committee to study the feasibility
of a spectrum band for offering broadcast services directly to users’ smartphones, a senior
official said. Public service broadcaster Prasar Bharati had last year announced a
collaboration with IIT Kanpur to test the feasibility of the technology, called ‘Direct-to-Mobile’
(D2M).
“Band 526-582 MHz is envisaged to work in coordination with both mobile and broadcast
services. DoT has set up a committee to study this band,” K Rajaraman, Secretary, DoT said
while speaking at a conclave on “Direct-to-Mobile & 5G Broadband Convergence Roadmap
for India” organised by IIT Kanpur and Telecommunications Standards Development
Society, India (TSDSI). At the moment, the band is being used by the Ministry of Information
& Broadcasting across the country for TV transmitters.
The technology is being necessitated on account of increasing internet penetration in the
country, with smartphones becoming the primary mode of content consumption. One of the
main use cases of the D2M network is its ability to converge with traditional mobile networks
and provide additional data pipes to the mobile operator which can help decongest their
network from heavy bandwidth consumption during peak traffic periods. The idea behind the
technology is that it can possibly be used to directly broadcast content related to national
interest on citizens’ information and can be further used to counter fake news, issue
emergency alerts and offer assistance in disaster management, among other things
“82 per cent of the internet traffic in India is video-related traffic. Nearly 1.1 million minutes of
video is streamed or downloaded every second. An estimated 240 exabytes of data is
consumed per month,” Rajaraman said. “The solution for satisfying the increasing need for
connectivity is to create a converged network”.
According to Rajaraman, content that is personalised can be sent over broadband on a one-
on-one mode, however, generic content can be sent over the broadcast or multicast network
in one or many more modes. “This enables very efficient use of the country’s spectrum
resources and existing infrastructure while facilitating an inexpensive mode of content
delivery to all citizens of India,” he said.
“The converged direct-to-mobile network will allow the end user to access unlimited video –
educational or infotainment – and data content at a nominal fixed monthly price. Once a D2M
network is rolled out, broadcaster can use such data pipes and deliver various applications
apart from traditional TV,” Rajaraman said.
Information and Broadcasting Ministry Secretary Apurva Chandra said that the convergence
between Direct-to-Mobile and 5G Broadband will improve consumption of broadband and
utilisation of spectrum in India. However, he pointed out that a mass roll out of the technology
will entail changes in infrastructure and some regulatory changes.
Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati said that Indian consumers today do not want
“silos” of hardware in their homes. He acknowledged that bringing.
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9565.mp3 (simplified info In audio for D2M tech)

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The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and India’s

public service broadcaster Prasar Bharati are exploring the

What is direct-to-mobile broadcasting?

What could be the consumer and business impact of this?

What are the possible challenges to the technology’s rollout?

What is the government doing to facilitate D2M technology?

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