DoT's technical arm has new draft on D2M tech standards in final stages: Report

Telecommunications Engineering Centre (TEC), the technical arm of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), is finalising a new draft report on direct-to-mobile (D2M) broadcasting and the standards to be adopted for the technology, according to an ET report.

The report states TEC has taken inputs from all stakeholders regarding D2M broadcasting technology, including its features, deployment status, maturity as well as standards. The D2M technology will allow beaming of live TV content directly to mobile phones without a cellular data connection.

In the technical report released by TEC in August 2023, it had called the technology a 'game-changing content delivery approach' that would satisfy the need for personalised, on-demand content on smartphones. However, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is yet to float a consultation paper on the same.

In January 2024, the telecom operator body Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), had said that the government's draft policy on the proposed Direct to Mobile technology requires a major revaluation to establish a level playing field.

D2M will allow multimedia content to be transmitted to smartphones without requiring an active internet connection. Representing the three private telecom service providers (TSPs) – Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea – COAI has said spectrum allocation, network integration, and regulatory and cost arbitrage for D2M need to be re-evaluated.

A Business Standard report from January 2024, quoting top officials from across ministries, stated that the government is keen to bring direct-to-mobile (D2M) technology to India by 2025, and pilot projects are set to soon begin in 19 cities, though a formal timeline has not been set.

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