NEW DELHI: Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) broadcasting technology has successfully cleared a fresh round of laboratory and field tests. The results demonstrate that D2M services can operate alongside mobile telephony service without causing any disruption to voice calls or SMS services.
The successful tests are being seen as removing the last major technical obstacle to the technology’s rollout. Following this positive outcome, Prasar Bharati is working on finalisation of a Detailed Project Report (DPR) to produce a comprehensive blueprint for execution, sources said.
“The technology has passed its final critical trials establishing its widespread public or commercial release feasibility. With DPR preparations going on, Project structuring is also being worked out to find out how it will be funded, governed, and lawfully organised to mitigate risks and attract investors.
The tests have established that calls and SMS messages retain priority over active D2M playback. It is at the final stage. Once the report is finalized, a Request for Proposal (RFP) will be issued to move the project forward,” said sources.
The consultancy firm Ernst & Young (EY) appointed by Prasar Bharati as the project management consultant submitted the DPR to the public broadcaster and the same has already been forwarded to the ministry of information and broadcasting (MI&B), it is learnt. “DPR is being discussed for further consideration,” sources added.
The field tests were conducted with MI&B), ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY), the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur and other multiple government agencies around Kartavya Path in March.
D2M enables delivery of multimedia content such as live TV channels, video, audio, emergency alerts, and data services directly to mobile phones using terrestrial broadcast networks without relying on mobile internet or Wi-Fi.
To avail the service, the phones or devices require specific hardware to receive and decode broadcast signals. The technology may enable high-quality video and audio streaming as it doesn’t depend on the variable speed and stability of an internet connection.
Prasar Bharati, the public broadcaster, earlier entered into an Memorandum of Understanding with IIT, Kanpur in 2019 to develop the next generation broadcast roadmap for digital terrestrial broadcasting consistent with emerging technological standards.
IIT, Kanpur after doing a comparative analysis of the then available technologies, conducted the small-scale Proof of Concept (PoC) trial on D2M broadcasting in Bengaluru. A PoC is an exercise to determine whether an idea can be turned into a reality and check the feasibility. Subsequently, initial trials were conducted in different cities including Delhi, Noida, and Bengaluru.
According to the officials, the broadcasting technology can also help in easing congestion by shifting broadcast-heavy traffic away from conventional mobile networks during major live events like Indian Premier League matches. It can also help lower the cost of accessing audio and video content, since this technology will operate independent of expensive data packs.
D2M closer to reality
D2M broadcasting has successfully cleared final trials, removing last major technical hurdle to rollout
Tests confirmed that D2M services can operate alongside mobile networks without disrupting calls or SMS services
Prasar Bharati is finalising the Detailed Project Report (DPR), which has been submitted to the MIB
After DPR approval, a Request for Proposal (RFP) will be issued to take the project forward
D2M enables direct delivery of live TV, emergency alerts and data services to mobile devices without internet
Tech can ease net congestion by offloading broadcast-heavy traffic
