The government of India is exploring possibilities of bringing Live TV on mobile phones without data. The service enabled by Direct-to-Mobile D2M which acts like DTH brings live TV to mobile devices without an internet connection. Economic Times revealed Department of Telecommunications (DoT), the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), and IIT-Kanpur are collaborating on the matter.
The technology will require cooperation from telecom operators. A team is said to soon hold talks with the telcos in India to explore the feasibility of the D2M technology.
India wants to connect 800 million mobile phone users with D2M which it is pitching as a new-generation tech. India currently has 22 crore population with TV in their houses. But video consumption on handheld devices is a big business. The country has 800 million smartphone users and users around 20 GB of data a month. So, the government wants to bring TV content to the smartphones of this digitally connected person in high numbers.
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D2M in India to use 526-582 MHz band
D2M combines both broadband and broadband and runs on the same tech used by FM on mobile phones. The receiver on the phone will receive the frequency and broadcast the content. Reportedly, the 526-582 MHz band is being considered for to bring Live TV to phones. In 2005, South Korea started D2M calling it Mobile Television, Hong Kong started a similar service in 2006.
But while the technology seems beneficial and cool, it’s easier said than done. Operators rely heavily on data for their revenues. The D2M tech might negatively impact their data service, especially in light of the 5G business prospects. Indian media outlets have reported that Indian Mobile Network Operators are “likely” to protest the D2M strategy due to concerns about its economic impact on their business plans.
On the promise of anonymity, one official stated, “We are examining the feasibility, and the final decision will involve discussions with all stakeholders, including telecom operators.”