Live content soon on Rs 2k phones with no data pack as D2M tech paves way

New Delhi: Be it live sports or Bollywood movies or even web series on OTT platforms, mobile phone users in India, including the more than 200 million feature phone owners, may finally get to view them on their handsets without even having an active internet connection.

To start with, phone makers Lava and HMD have manufactured devices in the ₹2,000-2,500 price range for accessing direct-to-mobile (D2M) broadcasting technology, based on chipsets developed by Tata Group-owned Saankhya Labs. Initially, mostly content from public broadcaster Prasar Bharti will be streamed on these devices.

Spectrum, Infra Requirements
Even those already owning smartphones will be able to access content without having mobile internet, instead using a dongle priced at ₹500-600. Phone makers are also working on smartphones with D2M capability.

“We are proud to be associated with both Lava and HMD for developing the D2M feature phone. This is the very first time that India-made silicon is getting a socket in the phone ecosystem,” said Parag Naik, executive vice president, Tejas Networks, and former CEO of Saankhya Labs. “This will enable more than 200 million feature phone users to access content without the internet and at zero access cost.”

Last year, Saankhya Labs was merged with Tata-owned Tejas Networks.

The plan is to utilise the existing infrastructure of Prasar Bharati and mobile towers of telecom operators for deploying D2M technology gear. According to an industry expert, it would require an investment of about ₹8,000 crore to roll out D2M network across the country. This can be further densified depending on the consumer uptake, with additional investments. Spectrum given to Prasar Bharati can be tapped for the service.

Telcos are however taking a cautious stand against D2M technology, fearing it might erode their data revenues. They have been pushing the government to provide spectrum for such services at market rates.

Trials for D2M technology have been held in Delhi and Bengaluru with a broader set of commercial tests in 19 cities set to commence in 6-9 months, utilising Prasar Bharati’s infrastructure, after which it would be rolled out pan-India.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has been making efforts to roll out D2M technology but faced device ecosystem bottlenecks. Now, with two phone makers coming onboard, the process is expected to accelerate.

According to Gautam Dhingra, head, product, GTM and service business, feature phone prototypes are ready, and mass production can start once the service is made available pan-India. “Price points would be between ₹2,000–2,500. The target is to have a D2M smartphone as well,” he said.

He said the consumer proposition for D2M smartphones means there should not be any buffering or lag during live events and no delay during OTT streaming and nil data consumption.

Lava International ED and CMO Sanjeev Agarwal said feature phone integration is currently being done at the company's R&D centre in Noida. “Our team is working on the development cycle for smooth integration of the chip into the hardware. We are looking at a time span of six months to bring the feature phone model to the market in the range of ₹2,000-2,200,” he said.

In 2022, a proof-of-concept study was undertaken by IIT-Kanpur to establish a road map for D2M. The institute partnered with Saankhya Labs for its entire hardware needs, including chipset and radio. It also released a white paper on the subject along with its recommendations.

According to the institute, once a D2M network is rolled out, a broadcaster can use it as a data pipe and deliver various applications, apart from traditional TV and radio. A converged D2M network will enable users to access unlimited video and data content at a nominal fixed monthly price without having to rely on costly and often unreliable mobile broadband networks, it said.