Hardware
World’s first single-chip hybrid direct broadcast satellite terrestrial and IP devices for STBs
NEW DELHI: Broadcom Corporation, a global innovation leader in semiconductor solutions for wired and wireless communications, today announced the world’s first family of eight new hybrid satellite and terrestrial system-on-a-chip (SoC) broadcast devices for set-top boxes (STBs).
The new series unveiled at the International Broadcasting Convention in Amsterdam is engineered with pin-to-pin compatibility, allowing a single set-top design to be leveraged across the entire family. Broadcom will demonstrate the chips at IBC, 12 to 16 September.
The new series brings Broadcom’s high efficiency video compression (HEVC) technology to terrestrial markets, enabling broadcasters to utilise spectrum more efficiently than with current MPEG-4 video compression standards. As a result, broadcasters gain options to deliver more competitive channel line-ups and improved content quality through the same or lower spectrum footprint. Broadcom’s new family of devices also combines HEVC with the advanced modulation efficiencies of DVB-S2, DVB-T2, ISDB-T and ATSC, and high-performance IP connectivity with MoCA 2.0. This unprecedented level of integration provides set-top manufacturers with a compelling value proposition for broadcasters as they continue service upgrades.
“The combination of satellite and terrestrial front-ends that this family offers now provides significant benefits to viewers who want the best channel and content selection available,” said Broadcom senior vice president of marketing, broadband & connectivity Rich Nelson.
“We believe HEVC will continue to be a key driver for the delivery of high-quality content. Today’s announcement demonstrates our commitment to our customers to proliferate HEVC broadly across our set-top box product family.”
“Broadcasters and regulators throughout Europe and in emerging regions, including Africa, are waiting for the arrival of DVB-T2 with HEVC to launch or extend HD terrestrial services. In addition, we expect the ability to deliver hybrid IP-services using HEVC will benefit broadcasters launching premium add-on services, including some delivered over bandwidth-constrained cellular networks,” said ABI Research practice director Sam Rosen.
“In addition to allowing the next generation of services, Broadcom’s integration of HEVC in terrestrial, satellite and cable chipsets provides broadcasters with a future-proof to ensure the set-top boxes they deploy today will provide value through 2020 and beyond.”
Hardware
India clears Rs 1.6 lakh crore semiconductor projects under Semicon India
Ten projects cleared as production begins and design ecosystem gathers pace
NEW DELHI: India’s push to become a global electronics powerhouse is gaining momentum, with the Semicon India Programme driving the creation of a full-fledged semiconductor ecosystem from design to manufacturing.
Launched in 2022, the programme aims to build capabilities across the entire value chain, including chip design, fabrication, assembly, testing and packaging. In just four years, the government has approved 10 semiconductor projects with a combined investment commitment of around Rs 1.6 lakh crore.
Two of these facilities have already begun commercial production, including units led by Micron Technology Inc. and Kaynes Technology India Limited. Two more plants are expected to go live later this year, signalling that India’s chip ambitions are moving from blueprint to factory floor.
The broader electronics manufacturing story has also seen sharp growth over the past decade. Production has jumped from roughly Rs 1.9 lakh crore in 2014-15 to about Rs 12 lakh crore in 2024-25, while exports have surged nearly eightfold. Mobile phone manufacturing, once heavily import-dependent, now meets almost all domestic demand and has become a major export driver.
Alongside manufacturing, the government is investing heavily in design capabilities. Through access to advanced chip design tools provided free to 315 universities, students and researchers have clocked over 200 lakh hours of usage. This effort has already resulted in 211 chip tape-outs from 75 institutions.
Support for startups is also picking up pace. Twenty-four chip design projects have been approved, targeting sectors such as surveillance, energy, communications and IoT. Of these, 14 companies have collectively raised over Rs 650 crore in venture funding, while several designs have progressed to fabrication, including at advanced nodes.
To strengthen supply chains, India has also signed semiconductor cooperation agreements with countries including the United States, Japan, the European Union, Singapore and the Netherlands. These partnerships aim to reduce global dependencies while boosting domestic capabilities.
The employment impact is equally significant. The electronics sector now supports an estimated 25 lakh jobs, with mobile manufacturing alone accounting for nearly half. As more semiconductor units come online under the India Semiconductor Mission, indirect job creation across supply chains is expected to rise further.
Sharing these updates in Parliament, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology minister of state Jitin Prasada underscored the government’s focus on building a resilient, end-to-end semiconductor ecosystem.
With factories taking shape, designs moving to silicon and investments flowing in, India’s semiconductor story is steadily shifting gears from ambition to execution.
