New Delhi [India], September 15 (ANI): India is significantly ahead in the adoption of Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) technology, which enables mobile broadcast access without internet connectivity, said Arvind Vohra, serial investor and telecom entrepreneur with decades of industry experience.
Speaking to ANI on Monday, Vohra explained that D2M allows content to reach large audiences simultaneously, without the need for an internet connection. “If you put your phone on flight mode, you will still receive mobile broadcast. So you don’t need to be on a network or accessing the internet. That’s the whole story of D2M,” he said.
Highlighting India’s position globally, Vohra noted that D2M chips are already available domestically, with brands like Lava, HMD, and Nokia conducting proof-of-concept tests. “Intel has also adopted the solution and demonstrated it on their AIPC. In my view, India is three years ahead globally on the D2M standard,” he added.
When asked about the relevance of D2M alongside existing telecom networks, Vohra said the technologies are complementary. “One is a broadcast technology; the other is an internet-pull technology. D2M aims to make broadcast accessible to the lowest rung of the pyramid at zero cost,” he explained.
Vohra emphasised the social impact of D2M, particularly for the 200 million feature phone users in India who remain offline. “D2M can bring them onto the same information platform as the rest of the population, which is why I am very pro-D2M,” he said.
He also linked D2M to the semiconductor ecosystem, explaining that chips enable the technology, either onboarded in mobile devices or via plug-in dongles.
Regarding rollout, Vohra stated that India’s D2M services are largely policy-dependent, rather than constrained by hardware or infrastructure readiness. “Once the government finalises the policy, the normal process for developing the infrastructure can begin,” he said.
D2M, already in use as a standard in countries like Korea and Brazil, is expected to expand India’s digital reach, making information accessible to millions without internet access. (ANI)
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