The Department of Telecommunications (DoT), in association with public service broadcaster Prasar Bharat, is exploring the feasibility of a Direct-To-Mobile’ (D2M) technology.
Why in news?
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and India’s public service broadcaster Prasar Bharati are exploring the feasibility of a technology that allows to broadcast video and other forms of multimedia content directly to mobile phones, without needing an active internet connection.
The technology, called ‘direct-to-mobile’ (D2M) broadcasting, promises to improve consumption of broadband and utilisation of spectrum.
What is D2M technology ?
Mobile phones may receive terrestrial digital TV using this technology based on the convergence of the internet and broadcast. It would be comparable to how people listen to FM radio on their phones, which uses a receiver to tap into radio frequencies. Multimedia material may also be immediately broadcast to phones via D2M,
• The D2M technology allows to broadcast video and other multimedia content directly to mobile phones, without active internet connection.
•It is based on the convergence of broadband and broadcast. Using this technology, mobile phones will be able to receive terrestrial digital TV.
• It is similar FM radio on mobile phones, in which phone can tap into radio frequencies.
It improves utilisation of spectrum and consumption of broadband.
What is direct-to-mobile broadcasting ?
The technology is based on the convergence of broadband and broadcast, using which mobile phones can receive terrestrial digital TV. It would be similar to how people listen to FM radio on their phones, where a receiver within the phone can tap into radio frequencies
• This technology can be used to directly broadcast content related to citizen-centric information.
• It will help in countering fake news, issuing emergency alerts as well as offering assistance in disaster management.
• It can also be used to broadcast live sports and news on mobile phones.
• It would be similar to how people listen to FM radio on their phones, where a receiver within the phone can tap into radio frequencies. Using D2M, multimedia content can also be beamed to phones direct.
What could be the consumer and business impact of this?
• For consumers
A technology like this would mean that they would be able to access multimedia content from Video on Demand (VoD) or Over The Top (OTT) content platforms without having to exhaust their mobile data, and more importantly, at a nominal rate.
The technology will also allow people from rural areas, with limited or no internet access, to watch video content.
•For businesses
One of the key benefits of the technology is that it can enable telecom service providers to offload video traffic from their mobile network onto the broadcast network, thus helping them to decongest valuable mobile spectrum.
This will also improve usage of mobile spectrum and free up bandwidth which will help reduce call drops, increase data speeds etc.
Significance of the D2M technology
•Through the D2M technology, consumers would be able to access multimedia content from Over The Top (OTT) or Video on Demand (VoD) content platforms without exhausting mobile data.
•This service would be provided at a nominal rate. It will also allow people from rural areas, where internet access is not present or is limited, to watch video content.
•D2M technology will also enable the telecom service providers to offload video traffic for businesses for their mobile network on the broadcast network. It will thus help them in decongesting valuable mobile spectrum.
•The technology would improve usage of mobile spectrum and free up bandwidth, thus reducing the call drops and increasing data speeds etc.
What is the government doing to facilitate D2M technology?
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has set up a committee to study the feasibility of a spectrum band for offering broadcast services directly to users’ smartphones, DoT Secretary K Rajaraman said on Wednesday. “Band 526-582 MHz is envisaged to work in coordination with both mobile and broadcast services. DoT has set up a committee to study this band,” he said. At the moment, this band is used by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting across the country for TV transmitters.
Public service broadcaster Prasar Bharati had last year announced a collaboration with IIT Kanpur to test the feasibility of the technology.
Conclusion
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