Prasar Bharati to launch live TV broadcasts on smartphones without internet: Sources

Prasar Bharati is reportedly working on a new initiative to enable live TV broadcasts on smartphones without requiring an internet connection. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has confirmed that trials for this project are underway in several cities, in collaboration with IIT Kanpur and Saankhya Labs, a subsidiary of Tejas Networks and a Karnataka-based wireless communication solutions provider. These trials involve the use of both high-power and low-power transmitters.

According to officials, the trials of Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) technology have been promising so far. However, further advancements will require installing transmitters on cellular towers and integrating specialised chips into mobile phones. The live broadcasting of TV channels on smartphones would function similarly to radio, using broadcast signals. Specific hardware would be needed to receive and decode these signals, but it would allow high-quality video and audio streaming without depending on internet speed.

In 2019, the MIB signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore areas like D2M broadcasting, rural broadband, and 5G convergence.

Prasar Bharati is also reportedly planning to venture into the OTT space. The proposed OTT platform would follow a revenue-sharing model, where content providers would receive 65 per cent of the net revenue generated from subscription or transaction-based content, while Prasar Bharati would retain 35 per cent. Satellite channels that join the platform would follow the same model.