I&B Ministry
India examining new techs like mobile b’cast:I&B minister
NEW DELHI: Information and broadcasting minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi today said that India is examining opportunities being thrown up by newer technologies like mobile broadcasting.
Inaugurating the 12th International Conference & Exhibition on terrestrial and satellite broadcasting, organized by BES, the minister said, We are closely examining the opportunities offered by technology such as mobile
broadcasting.
According to Dasmunshi, broadcasting is revolutionizing the world as it heads towards being a global village. Information is power, and India stands today in the forefront of the world economic forum, he added.
I&B secretary SK Arora, who presided over the inaugural function, was of the opinion that since the opening up of the broadcast sector to private participation 15 years ago, India has come a long way and the change is phenomenal.
He added, We are in the midst of an era of convergence today, where the thin line between telecommunications and broadcasting is gradually fading.
A total of 65 companies, representing 300 broadcast equipment manufacturers and solution providers from 25 countries across the globe, are participating in Broadcast Engineering Society Expo 2006.
Over the last 12 years, BES Expo has been providing a platform to showcase the latest broadcast equipment and emerging technologies in India.
Highlighting the importance of the theme of the conference `Broadcast Trends: Reaching the Unreached, Prasar Bharati CEO KS Sarma said that content should reach the masses in an unbiased manner.
Making a strong case for availability of content to all the people, which has its antecedents pubcaster Doordarshan constantly fighting for telecast rights to popular and money-spinning games like cricket, Sarma said, There is an urgent need for a regulator to regulate the content.
Referring to the ever increasing preference for DTH services in the country by the masses, Sarma said the total number of subscribers of Doordarshans (subscription-free) DTH service has reached five million.
Delivering the welcome address, BES president NS Ganesan informed that this years expo will have a live demo of emerging technologies like TV on mobile based on digital multimedia broadcasting and digital video
broadcasting-handheld.
Chairman of Korean Broadcasting Commission Sung Dai Noh was the other guest of honour today, while the keynote address was delivered by James Andrew Butler Sr., director of Public Broadcasting Service of the US.
More than 40,000 visitors and delegates from various broadcast houses, educational institutions, and satellite channel operators are expected to attend this years event.
I&B Ministry
Digital radio, D2M tech set to reshape broadcasting and public messaging
Govt pushes next-gen delivery while TRAI tightens grip on spam ecosystem
NEW DELHI: India’s broadcasting and telecom landscape is undergoing a quiet but significant upgrade, with digital radio and Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) technologies emerging as powerful tools for mass communication, while regulators step up efforts to tackle spam calls.
According to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, digital radio and D2M are poised to transform how content reaches audiences by making more efficient use of spectrum. In simple terms, multiple channels can now be delivered over a single frequency, opening the door to a wider range of free-to-air content.
D2M technology takes this a step further by enabling video, audio and data to be broadcast directly to mobile handsets without relying on SIM cards or mobile data. The result is a resilient and cost-effective data pipe that can deliver everything from entertainment and education to critical emergency alerts, even in low-connectivity scenarios.
At the same time, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India is tightening its grip on unsolicited commercial communication, better known as spam calls. The regulator has deployed a distributed ledger technology platform to bring transparency and accountability into the system.
Through this blockchain-based setup, consumers can register their preferences on receiving promotional messages, while businesses and telemarketers must also sign up and operate within defined rules. The platform also includes a complaint mechanism that allows users to report spam, with complaints shared across telecom operators for coordinated action.
The government’s broader push is being supported by infrastructure upgrades under the Broadcasting Infrastructure and Network Development scheme. Implemented through Prasar Bharati, the initiative focuses on modernising networks such as Akashvani and Doordarshan, including digitisation and adoption of next-generation broadcast equipment.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting minister of state for information and broadcasting L. Murugan said these steps are part of a larger effort to promote emerging technologies and strengthen the country’s broadcasting backbone. The response came to a query raised by member of Parliament Rao Rajendra Singh.
Together, these developments point to a dual-track strategy: expanding access to reliable, low-cost content while cleaning up the communication ecosystem. As digital pipes get smarter and spam filters sharper, India’s airwaves may soon feel a lot less noisy and far more useful.
