Now, if your smartphone can stream live TV, emergency alerts or video content directly from satellite or broadcast tower (without relying on mobile data or Wi-Fi), just like how a TV picks up aerial signal? That’s the promise of Direct Motorcycle (D2M) technology, which allows cell phones to receive broadcast content from satellites or broadcast towers.
India is one of the first countries to use this technology. In January last year, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said it was planning a pilot test for D2M broadcast transmission, which is not dependent on data connectivity, as outlined in the 2022 paper by Kanpur of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). This method has been used in emergency government notifications.
On April 28, Lava International and HMD said they are planning to provide commercial launch D2M for Indian consumers, even if trials are underway. HMD is working with freestyle technology, Tejas Networks and Sinclair, which IIT Kanpur opens, while Lava is working with Tejas.
Mobile phones with D2M function are equipped with a special chip that can adjust broadcast signals such as satellite or TV frequency. The mobile phone’s software can decode the broadcast and display the content. Broadcast signals can be transmitted through the 5G broadcast standard, which is the next generation evolution of LTE broadcast and Embms systems.
LTE (Long-term Evolution) broadcasting and Embms (Evolutionary Multimedia Broadcasting Multicast Service) allow mobile networks to send the same video, TV or alerts to many calls at once, rather than to each user alone.
Smoother, bigger
Newer technologies such as 5G broadcasting can be broadcast directly to smartphones without Wi-Fi or mobile data. However, for voice calls, text messages and internet browsing, the phone will still use conventional mobile networks (such as 4G/5G) or Wi-Fi as it currently does.
The new HMD devices (low-cost phones, dongles, smartphones and tablets) will be powered by Tejas Technology and will be extensively tested on the real-time network by Prasar Bharati in partnership with IIT Kanpur and Tejas. According to Tejas Networks’ EVP Parag Naik, the chipset (SL-3000 from Tejas unit Saankhya Labs) powers these devices and provides core networking platforms for targeted advertising, emergency alerts, educational content, and more.
This will allow you to broadcast “large amounts of multimedia content” directly and directly, such as TV (OTT) content, TV, video, audio and text messages, directly and directly, using Wi-Fi or the Internet.
Lava’s feature phone runs on Mediatek MT6261 SOC (chip system), Saankhya’s integrated (SL3000) chip. It will be equipped with a UHF (ultra-high frequency) antenna for TV reception, a GSM for voice calls, a 2.8-inch (QVGA) display and a 2200 mAh battery.
D2M technology is expected to be cut by 8-900,000 “TV dark houses” or technology without TVs across India. That said, the growth of the global D2M technology market is driven by an increasing number of mobile devices and applications as well as remote work and collaboration, according to market research firm DataHorizzon Research.
The company incorporates the market into healthcare, e-commerce and marketing, emphasizing that telehealth has become a key player in healthcare providers, providing services directly to users’ mobile devices.
However, D2M technology is still in its early stages. Companies such as Qualcomm, Samsung and Indian telecom giant Jio and Telecommunications are testing the technology. Although Lava and HMD-specific D2M phones are not yet available on the market, newer 5G phones are incorporating D2M capabilities through chipset upgrades or software updates.
These phones are more like D2M ready devices, which require specific infrastructure such as broadcast towers and spectrum to function fully. Phones with D2M capabilities may be priced similar to standard 5G smartphones. Expect additional payments ₹1,000-2,000 Due to the need to add hardware, such as dedicated receivers or antennas (if required).
China has shown interest in 5G broadcasting, while South Korea and Japan have explored 5G broadcasting and similar technologies that could pave the way for D2M-type services.
But, for now, India seems to be leading the field.
