Telecom operators body calls for re-evaluation of D2M tech policy

The government's draft policy on the proposed Direct to Mobile (D2M) technology requires a major rethink to establish a level playing field and ensure it does not become a source of regulatory arbitrage, the telecom operator body Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) said on Wednesday. Currently being debated, D2M will allow multimedia content to be transmitted to smartphones without requiring an active internet connection.

Representing the three private telecom service providers (TSPs) – Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea – COAI has said spectrum allocation, network integration, and regulatory and cost arbitrage for D2M need to be re-evaluated.

Building a dedicated D2M network by earmarking spectrum specifically for the broadcasting infrastructure providing competing/complementary services would lead to a breach of the level playing field, it has said.

Allowing handsets to capture terrestrial TV signals, D2M can stream live TV. TSPs are concerned about losing revenue from video consumption, a key segment that continues to grow. The technology may also force a rethink on the 5G strategies of telcos.

The proposed D2M network operates in the sub-GHz band (526MHz - 582MHz). The band is currently used by Prasar Bharati, along with many analogue and digital terrestrial TV transmitters. COAI has called for a transparent auction of spectrum in the band, and a 'technology-neutral approach with a focus on seamless integration into the existing mobile networks'.

"The spectrum envisaged for D2M Service should be allocated to the service providers to use broadcasting capabilities (D2M) as per the market requirements on the spectrum assigned through auctions. It must be noted that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had recommended refarming of existing usage in this band so that it can be made available for International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) and has commercial value," COAI Director General S.P. Kochhar said.

"Offloading cellular networks also requires a close integration of broadcasting capabilities with cellular networks, so that the spectrum and infrastructure can be optimally leveraged for broadcasting and

IMT services as per the demand. A dedicated D2M network, built by a third party, will not be able to achieve these aspects optimally," he argued.

The draft policy in question is a technical report released by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT's) Telecommunications Engineering Centre (TEC) in August. The TEC had called the technology a 'game-changing content delivery approach' that would satisfy the need for personalised, on-demand content on smartphones. However, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is yet to float a consultation paper on the same, a key precursor to any new policy or technology change in the telecom space.

As part of consultations so far, telecom service providers and device makers have argued against the technology.

"Importantly, there seems to be an incorrect assumption that a dedicated D2M network is required for sending alerts during disasters. Cellular networks have been successfully delivering SMS-based disaster alert messages through the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) platform. Recently, trials for the Cell Broadcast method have also been conducted," Kochhar said.

COAI has also called for the potential service to be aligned with national legal and technical standards, so that it does not result in regulatory arbitrage.