ITV

Tag: Next Gen TV

  • India tunes into the future: D2M phones set to beam broadcast content straight to mobiles

    India tunes into the future: D2M phones set to beam broadcast content straight to mobiles

    MUMBAI: Say hello to television without the internet. At Waves 2025, India’s flagship World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit to be held at Jio World Centre in Mumbai, a game-changing coalition of technology players will unveil the roadmap to bring direct-to-mobile (D2M) broadcasting to the fingertips of Indian consumers.

    The ambitious push is led by FreeStream Technologies, an IIT Kanpur-incubated deeptech startup, alongside mobile giants Lava International and HMD Global, powered by chipsets and infrastructure from Tejas Networks (formerly Saankhya Labs), with global validation from US-based broadcasting behemoth Sinclair Inc.
    The tech, hailed as a breakthrough in both communications and accessibility, allows live TV, emergency alerts, educational content, and multimedia programming to be delivered directly to mobile phones via terrestrial broadcast signals — bypassing internet or mobile data altogether.

    “This is India’s moment to lead the world in next-gen broadcasting. Lava and HMD are laying the foundation of a robust device ecosystem, and their commitment to scaling up proves D2M is more than a proof of concept — it’s a national opportunity,” said FreeStream Technologies director Sumeet Nindrajog.

    Lava, known for its made-in-India ethos, is ensuring that the price-point doesn’t become a hurdle. “Our D2M featurephone design cleverly integrates the modem and apps in a way that keeps costs low — something that has always defined Lava,” said Lava International executive director Sanjeev Agarwal.

    HMD — the home of Nokia phones — is matching that energy. “HMD has always been about delivering meaningful innovation. With D2M, we’re enabling consumers to access live content and alerts on their devices, without needing Wi-Fi or mobile data,” said HMD CEO & VP India & APAC. Ravi Kunwar. “This is a global first, and we’re proud to be building it in India.”

    Behind the scenes, it’s Tejas Networks’ award-winning SL-3000 D2M chipset — the tech’s beating heart — that makes it all possible. A product of Saankhya Labs (now part of Tejas and the Tata Group), the chip is designed for mobile broadcast reception, even in dense or low-connectivity environments.

    “This isn’t just about watching TV — this is about creating a national broadcast backbone that can deliver everything from emergency alerts to targeted education, from CDN offload to next-gen advertising,” said Tejas Networks  EVP and co-founder of Saankhya Labs Parag Naik. “It’s an empowerment platform, aligned with PM Modi’s vision of a digitally empowered India and Viksit Bharat.”

    Tejas has also built out the full core network platform to support nationwide rollout — integrating both broadcast and broadband layers, a capability rare even by global standards.

    From the other side of the Atlantic, Sinclair Inc, a pioneer of ATSC 3.0 — the broadcasting standard enabling D2M — praised India’s swift strides. “The adoption of ATSC 3.0 in affordable mobile devices underscores the foresight of our global investments, and vindicates our ‘mobile-first’ strategy,” said Sinclair Inc president & CEO Chris Ripley. ““India is now in the driver’s seat. Our next focus is B2X — Broadcast to Everything — which will be vital to achieving the goals of 6G and next-gen applications.”

    Sinclair’s One Media unit has been working with Indian partners to future-proof mobile broadcasting as a core digital infrastructure. Their role isn’t just investor — they’re co-developers and global evangelists.

    Backed by policy momentum and partnerships with Prasar Bharati, the D2M ecosystem has already undergone field trials across live networks. The next step? Nationwide field deployment, with Lava and HMD readying devices for market at scale.

    D2M is now not just a tech demonstration — it’s a political, social and commercial opportunity:
    * To decongest mobile data networks,
    * To deliver content equitably across rural and urban India,
    * And to anchor India’s leadership in media-tech manufacturing.

    With global standards, Indian R&D, and mass-market readiness coming together, Waves 2025 could well be remembered as the moment India turned its phones into broadcast hubs.

  • Next-gen TV transmission standard proposed by US panel, to foster innovation

    MUMBAI: The Federal Communications Commission (U.S.) has sought comment on a proposal that would allow television broadcasters to use the “Next Generation” broadcast television transmission standard, called “ATSC 3.0,” on a voluntary, market-driven basis.

    ATSC 3.0 has the potential to greatly improve broadcast signal reception on mobile devices and television receivers without outdoor antennas. It is also intended to enable broadcasters to offer enhanced and innovative new features to consumers, including Ultra High Definition picture and immersive audio, more localized programming content, an advanced emergency alert system capable of waking up sleeping devices to warn consumers of imminent emergencies, improved accessibility options, and interactive services.

    A coalition of broadcast and consumer electronics industry representatives petitioned the Commission to allow the use of the new standard. The upgraded technology is intended to merge the capabilities of overthe-air broadcasting with the broadband viewing and information delivery methods of the Internet using the same 6 MHz channels presently allocated for digital television (DTV).

    Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) proposes and seeks comment on rules that will allow broadcasters the flexibility to deploy ATSC 3.0-based transmissions while minimizing the impact on – and costs to – consumers and industry stakeholders. Among other things, the NPRM:

    Voluntary Use: Proposes to authorize voluntary use of ATSC 3.0 transmissions and to incorporate the relevant portions of the new standard into the Commission’s rules. The NPRM tentatively concludes that a Next Gen TV tuner mandate for new television receivers is not necessary at this time.

    Local Simulcasting: Proposes to require “local simulcasting” for stations that choose to deploy Next Gen TV so broadcasters can continue to provide DTV service using the current ATSC 1.0 standard at the same time that they offer ATSC 3.0. This approach will minimize disruption to consumers by ensuring that they will still be able to use their existing TV sets, which have only current-generation DTV and analog tuners.

    MVPD Carriage: Proposes to require that MVPDs continue carrying broadcasters’ DTV signals, using ATSC 1.0, but not to require them to carry ATSC 3.0 signals during the period when broadcasters are voluntarily implementing ATSC 3.0 service. The NPRM also asks about issues related to the voluntary carriage of ATSC 3.0 signals through retransmission consent.

    Service and Interference Protection: Asks for comment on whether Next Gen TV transmissions will raise any interference concerns for existing DTV operations or for any other services or devices that operate in the TV bands or in adjacent bands.

    Consumer Protection and Education: Tentatively concludes that television stations offering ATSC 3.0 should be subject to the public interest obligations that currently apply to television broadcasters and asks for comment on whether broadcasters should be required to provide on-air notifications to educate consumers about Next Gen TV service deployment and ATSC 1.0 simulcasting.

    Taken together, the proposal starts the rulemaking process to facilitate private sector innovation and promote American leadership in the global broadcast industry.

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