In the foreseeable future, mobile users might find themselves capable of streaming videos even in the absence of a SIM card or internet connection, thanks to the potential realization of Direct-to-Mobile broadcasting. This groundbreaking prospect was discussed by Apurva Chandra, the Information and Broadcasting Secretary, during a Broadcasting Summit. Chandra revealed plans for conducting trials of the indigenous Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) technology in 19 cities and advocated strongly for reserving the 470-582 MHz spectrum to support the development of this emerging technology.
Chandra highlighted that shifting 25-30 percent of video traffic to D2M could alleviate congestion on 5G networks, expediting the digital evolution of the nation and democratizing the delivery of content. Pilot projects to test the D2M technology were initiated last year in Bengaluru, Kartavya Path, and Noida.
Emphasizing the potential impact of D2M, Chandra indicated that this technology could effectively reach approximately 8-9 crore "TV Dark" homes across the country. Among the 280 million households in the country, only 190 million possess television sets.
Drawing attention to the prevalence of smartphones, Chandra pointed out that there are 80 crore smartphones in the country, with 69 percent of user-accessed content being in video format. He noted that the substantial use of video content often leads to network congestion, resulting in content buffering.
The D2M broadcasting technology, developed collaboratively by Saankhya Labs and IIT Kanpur, leverages terrestrial telecommunications infrastructure and spectrum allocated to public broadcasters. This technology facilitates the direct transmission of video, audio, and data signals to compatible mobile and smart devices. Offering transformative benefits, such as reduced costs in data transmission and access, enhanced network efficiency, and resilience, the adoption of D2M technology has the potential to establish a nationwide emergency alert system, reaching over a billion mobile devices.
