The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has asked the IIT-Kanpur, amongst other stakeholders, to rework the pitch for Direct to Mobile (D2M) service for the broadcasters. Currently, to watch live TV, you either need a data connection, or you need a DTH (Direct-to-Home) connection. The D2M technology aims to directly stream the live TV on a user's device without any need for a DTH connection or even data. This would mean a business loss for the DTH service providers but might not necessarily mean a loss for the telecom service providers as demand for mobile data is not going to go down, but only upwards.
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As per an ET report, the proposal that was put forwards for live TV directly on mobile didn't have enough clarity. There was confusion about if only the public broadcaster like Doordarshan/Prasar Bharti would be allowed to use the tech or even private broadcasters could use it. Then, the telcos have also asked the government to ensure that for the D2M services, the spectrum is auctioned as it will be provided on a commercial basis.
The government is considering airwaves in the 600 MHz band for this serivce. During the last spectrum auction, all the 600 MHz spectrum went unsold. But the D2M technology isn't just good for the broadcasting of TV channels, it can act as a data pipe for the broadcaster through which several other things can be sent to the users. Things such as educational content, disaster alerts and more can be sent through the D2M tech.
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There are many who are concerned for the telecom sector's health if the D2M tech is introduced. But the data demanding applications are only rising each day that goes by. Thus the demand for mobile data isn't going to go down with the arrival of D2M technology. In fact, it will only help in decongesting mobile networks.
