TRAI, I&B officials brainstorm opportunities in D2M and 5G Broadcasting

New Delhi: Every mobile user is a content creator and broadcaster and has the moral responsibility to ensure the veracity of the information shared by them, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L Murugan said here on Thursday.

Addressing a symposium on the 'Emerging Trends and Technologies in Broadcasting Sector' on the sidelines of the India Mobile Congress, Murugan said content was the "hero" of the emerging broadcast revolution and anybody providing good quality content would be successful.

He said the government has recently approved establishing Indian Institute of Creative Technologies in Mumbai to promote the Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics and Extended Reality (AVGC-XR) sector and encourage film-makers to 'shoot in India', utilising the talent pool and locations across the country.

Murugan said that when a person publishes news or information, it is incumbent on him to authenticate it, verify it and ensure that it is correct.

"We have the social responsibility, we have the moral responsibility. Every mobile user and broadcaster must think carefully before broadcasting whether this news would affect anyone's personal life, whether it is against the nation. We have to carefully see this," the minister said.

Murugan stressed on the need to improve access to broadcasting services for vulnerable populations to ensure their inclusion in social, economic, and political spheres.

Information and Broadcasting Secretary Sanjay Jaju highlighted the transformative potential of 5G, particularly when combined with immersive technologies such as Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality.

He said significant growth was expected in the AVGC-XR sector, which has the potential to boost startup culture, foster creativity, and enhance the experience of content consumption.

The I&B secretary also discussed the benefits of Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) broadcasting, which enables content delivery directly to mobile phones. 

He highlighted that Prasar Bharati, the public service broadcaster in collaboration with IIT Kanpur and Saankhya Labs, is conducting D2M trials using both high-power and low-power transmitters. 

TRAI Chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti underscored the significant growth trajectory of the media and entertainment sector, which is projected to reach Rs 3.08 trillion by 2026, driven by the rapid expansion of new media platforms.

He emphasised the transformative power of immersive technologies, which provide a more engaging and interactive experience.

TRAI chairman also highlighted that Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) broadcasting is emerging as an alternative content delivery technology allowing simultaneous broadcasting even without the internet. 

Additionally, TRAI chief stressed upon the benefits of digital radio, especially in areas lacking television connections and reiterated TRAI's commitment to provide forward-looking recommendations and regulations that protect consumer interests, ensuring a level playing field for service providers and promoting the overall growth of the broadcasting sector.

TRAI recently provided its recommendations for the formulation of a National Broadcasting Policy.

The symposium explored the transformative potential and practical applications of emerging technologies within the broadcasting industry, with a particular focus on immersive technologies, D2M and 5G broadcasting and digital radio. 

The symposium was structured in three back-to-back sessions designed to cover significant topics shaping the broadcasting landscape. The sessions was chaired by industry leaders and officers from the government, including Vishal Arya, Head of Technology at Tata Play, Ashok Kumar, DDG, DoT and Syed Tausif Abbas, DDG, DoT. 

The first session, titled ‘Use of Immersive Technologies in the Broadcasting Landscape,’ delved into how technologies like augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) can revolutionise content creation and consumption in broadcasting. Experts from the broadcasting domain alongside technology innovators presented the use cases to highlight how immersive technologies can enhance viewer engagement, create richer experiences and reshape the future of media content delivery.

The second session, ‘D2M and 5G Broadcasting: Opportunities and Challenges,’ discussed the two major technological standards namely ATSC 3.0 and 5G broadcasting (based on 3GPP standard) to facilitate the seamless direct reception of content to mobile handsets, potentially transforming how users’ access and consume media. The sessions also discussed the trials being conducted and challenges such as requirements of the infrastructure, spectrum, end device ecosystem etc.

The final session, ‘Digital Radio Technology: Deployment Strategies in India,’ examined the strategies for deploying digital radio for the Indian market. Experts discussed the advantages digital radio offers, including superior sound quality, spectrum efficiency and the ability to deliver multimedia services; along with the challenges and solutions for interoperability with existing analogue networks, enabling a smoother transition to digital broadcasting.