I&B Ministry
MIB halts release of revised broadcasting services bill
Mumbai: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has decided not to release a new draft of the Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill at this time. According to recent media reports, official sources from the MIB have indicated that there is no immediate need for this legislation and it has been put on hold.
The Ministry had initially planned to issue a revised draft following varied feedback on the existing proposal, especially concerning the regulation of online content creators through licensing or registration. To address these concerns, MIB extended the feedback deadline to 15 October 2024 and intended to publish a new draft afterward. However, various media reports state that the government is now shifting its focus towards the Digital India Act to address these regulatory issues instead of pursuing further revisions of the Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill.
Since taking office in June, I&B minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has voiced reservations about the bill and has reportedly criticised the drafting process, according to sources. In fact, Vaishnaw had recently told The Hindu: “We are very open minded, very flexible and want to make sure that whatever we do, we do after taking all the diverse views into consideration.”
The bill would have required OTT broadcasting service operators and digital news broadcasters to notify the government of their operations, including subscriber and viewer numbers, within one month of the act’s publication. Social media intermediaries would also have needed to ensure compliance with all act requirements. It was intended to replace key provisions of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act of 1995.
I&B Ministry
Govt panel clears D2M broadcasting, flags stakeholder review
Policy momentum builds for D2M ahead of expected 2026 rollout
NEW DELHI: The government has taken a decisive step towards rolling out direct-to-mobile (D2M) broadcasting in India, with the Committee of Secretaries giving in-principle approval to the proposal while simultaneously ordering a deeper examination of stakeholder concerns, according to a Storyboard18 report.
People familiar with the discussions said the decision reflects the Centre’s determination to push ahead with next-generation broadcast technologies, even as it seeks to manage growing resistance from telecom operators wary of the impact on mobile video revenues.
The move follows a referral by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to the committee of secretaries, rather than placing the proposal directly before the Union Cabinet, as was initially envisaged. The inter-ministerial panel includes representatives from the Department of Telecommunications, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the Department of Space, and the MIB.
“The clearance keeps the policy engine running without ignoring due process,” said a senior industry executive, requesting anonymity. “It signals commitment without forcing a rushed decision.”
Public broadcaster Prasar Bharati, working with IIT Kanpur and Saankhya Labs, now part of Tejas Networks, is conducting D2M trials across more than 19 cities. The technology allows live television and multimedia content to be transmitted directly to mobile phones without internet connectivity or a SIM card.
Officials see D2M as a strategic public-interest tool, particularly for regions with weak digital infrastructure. Use cases include education, disaster alerts and emergency messaging. “This is being framed as a complement to telecom networks, not a replacement,” said an executive involved in the consultations.
Telecom operators remain unconvinced. They argue that D2M could undercut mobile video consumption, one of the sector’s fastest-growing revenue streams and have questioned both the commercial logic and technical robustness of the trials.
Industry body Cellular Operators Association of India has criticised the testing process, alleging departures from principles of transparency, consultation and technology neutrality, and has called for fresh trials with broader stakeholder participation.
The government and Prasar Bharati have countered these objections with technical evidence. Studies led by IIT Kanpur found that D2M operations in the 470–582 MHz band do not cause harmful interference with existing 4G and 5G networks, nor do they lead to abnormal handset heating. The findings were independently certified by Aracion Technology, a NABL-accredited firm.
The MIB has been among D2M’s strongest advocates, frequently pointing to India’s access gap. Of roughly 280 million households, about 190 million have television access, leaving nearly 90 million TV-dark. By contrast, the country has around 800 million smartphone users and another 250 million feature-phone users.
The newly constituted committee will examine spectrum frameworks, regulatory safeguards and stakeholder concerns, even as pilot deployments continue. Industry executives say the signal from the Centre is unmistakable. “The question now is execution, not intent,” said a senior broadcast executive.
Commercial rollouts are expected to begin by mid-2026, with wider launches towards the end of the year. The MIB has also appointed Ernst & Young as project management consultant to design a national D2M roadmap, including a viable revenue and business model.
