I&B Ministry
MSO clearances spurt as DAS Phase III deadline looms; DEN Ambey gets permanent license
NEW DELHI: The panic button appears to have been pressed. With the looming end of year deadline of completion of digital addressable system (DAS) Phase III, the number of multi system operators (MSOs) has jumped to 473 as of 4 November from 429 as on 21 October.
Of these, 227 – one more in the past fortnight – have 10-year licences and a total of 246 (against 203 on 21 October) have obtained provisional licences.
The only new entrant in the permanent licence list, cleared yesterday, is New Delhi’s DEN Ambey Cable Networks, which will provide DAS signals in Uttar Pradesh except Agra, Lucknow, Ghaziabad, Meerut and Varanasi.
Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry sources said it had still not received any formal communication of the Home Ministry’s decision to do away with security clearances for MSOs, while some had been given provisional licences pending certain formalities relating to shareholders and so on.
According to the list put on the I&B Ministry’s website, Kal Cables of Chennai and Digi Cable Network of Mumbai remain on the cancellation list. On the other hand, Mumbai based Scod 18 Networking has also been refused security clearance while Bengaluru’s SR Cable TV has shut down its business.
Twelve MSOs, which had earlier been granted permanent licences were permitted to change their areas of operation.
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.
