Explained: What is D2M technology, and how could it change your mobile behaviour?

What is the News?

The Department of Telecommunications(DoT) and Prasar Bharati are exploring the feasibility of a ‘Direct-to-Mobile’(D2M) Broadcasting technology. This technology allows to broadcast video and other forms of multimedia content directly to mobile phones, without needing an active internet connection.

What is Direct-to-Mobile(D2M) Broadcasting Technology?

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. Using D2M, multimedia content can also be beamed to phones directly.

What are the applications of D2M Technology?

It can possibly be used to directly broadcast content related to citizen-centric information and can be further used to counter fake news, issue emergency alerts and offer assistance in disaster management among other things.

Apart from that, it can be used to broadcast live news, sports etc. on mobile phones. 

How would this impact consumers and Businesses?

Consumers: 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.

Businesses: 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 the usage of mobile spectrum and free up bandwidth which will help reduce call drops, increase 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.

What are the possible challenges to the D2M technology’s rollout?

Firstly, bringing key stakeholders like mobile operators on board will be the “biggest challenge” in launching D2M technology on a wide scale.

Secondly, a mass rollout of the technology will entail changes in infrastructure and some regulatory changes.

Source: The post is based on the article “Explained: What is D2M technology, and how could it change your mobile behaviour?” published in Indian Express on 3rd June 2022.