India is inching closer to a commercial rollout of Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) technology, with significant preparatory work already completed, including pilot projects, technology development, and compatible devices. However, final regulatory approvals—particularly from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting—are still pending, ETTelecom reported, citing industry executives.
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What is D2M Technology?
D2M technology enables the transmission of broadcast content, such as television and video, directly to mobile devices without the need for a SIM card or internet connectivity. It leverages terrestrial broadcast infrastructure, aiming to reduce mobile data costs, ease network congestion, and improve content access, especially in underserved and media-dark regions.
Bengaluru-based Saankhya Labs, a subsidiary of Tejas Networks, has developed the SL3000 chip, which allows mobile phones to receive D2M content. In partnership with Saankhya Labs and Free Stream Technologies—incubated at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur—US-based Sinclair Broadcasting has invested significantly to co-develop affordable mobile phones equipped with D2M capability.
Chris Ripley, President and CEO of US-based Sinclair Broadcasting, a global company in D2M, said the company has invested tens of millions of dollars to support the roll-out of D2M in India, according to the report.
"India has all three ingredients needed for D2M: over 100 MHz of unused spectrum held by Prasar Bharati, one of the world's largest content markets, and a largely free ad-supported ecosystem," said Ripley, as mentioned in the report. "This makes the consumer proposition particularly strong—users don’t need to pay for data or content."
Regulatory Framework
Despite technological readiness and successful pilot demonstrations in Bengaluru and Delhi using Prasar Bharati's infrastructure, a final regulatory framework is still being formulated. The report cited government officials who indicated that D2M broadcast technology will need to align with a regulatory framework that is still under development. Last year, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told Parliament that IIT Kanpur had released a white paper and demonstrated a large-scale proof of concept for D2M.
"A full commercial deployment should be sometime next year, assuming the government process works its way through this year," Ripley reportedly said.
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Former Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati expressed confidence that policy approval would follow soon, describing the ministry's nod as "procedural." He added that since Prasar Bharati is already authorised for terrestrial broadcasting and spectrum is earmarked for this purpose, no significant policy hurdles are expected.
"We've effectively cellularised the broadcast architecture," Saankhya Labs CEO Parag Naik was quoted as saying. "We've developed a 5G-like radio, which will be installed on cellular towers. Using this, we can push content to phones—even in airplane mode."
Device Manufacturers Gear Up for Launch
Mobile handset makers such as HMD Global and Lava are preparing to launch feature phones with built-in support for D2M broadcasts. While some telecom operators may view D2M as a threat to data revenue, others in the industry see it as a means to reduce pressure on telecom infrastructure, according to the report.
"The technology could help ease pressure on the telecom infrastructure, which is currently strained by high video demand. D2M would allow consumers to save data, which could then be used for other purposes," said Gautam Dhingra, head of product go-to-market and services business at HMD Global (India and APAC), as cited in the report.
Broadcasters currently distributing channels via Prasar Bharati's DD Free Dish are also expected to make their content available through D2M platforms, unnamed industry executives were quoted as saying.
