Prasar Bharati initiates trials for live telecast of TV channels on mobile phones

New Delhi: India’s public broadcaster, Prasar Bharati, is making strides to enable live TV broadcasts on smartphones without the need for an internet connection. 

It came to public light in January that the central government is working on a home-grown Direct-to-Mobile technology, developed by Saankbhya Labs enabling mobile users to stream videos on their smartphones without an active internet connection.

Pointed out by multiple reports, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MI&B) has confirmed that Prasar Bharati is conducting trials for the technology in various cities, including Delhi. 

The D2M technology allows live broadcasting directly to mobile devices using broadcast signals similar to those used for TV and radio. This method bypasses traditional cellular or internet data networks, requiring devices to have specific hardware to receive and decode these signals. This technology promises high-quality video and audio streaming, independent of internet speed and stability.

According to news reports, government officials have reported successful experiments with IIT Kanpur, indicating that the next steps involve installing transmitters on cellular towers and integrating specific chips into mobile phones.

Three years ago, a pilot project was launched to test the feasibility of broadcasting high-viewership events like the IPL directly to smartphones, similar to DTH services. An official noted that with the increasing consumption of video content on mobile devices, including news via apps, Prasar Bharati’s NewsOnAir app has garnered a large user base.

Moreover, in July 2019, the ministry signed a memorandum of understanding for research collaboration in areas such as direct-to-mobile broadcasting, 5G convergence, rural broadband, and next-generation broadcasting standards.