KIANEWS 
Finnish company HMD Global has launched a new HMD Fuse smartphone aimed specifically at children. According to the company, it is the world's first smartphone that prevents children from filming, broadcasting or viewing nude and sexually explicit content, even while streaming.
Indian telecom companies demand rerun of direct-to-mobile (D2M) trials
06. 01. 2026 Tuesday / By: Robert Denes / Industrial / Exact time: BST / Print this page
I ndian operators have criticised the lack of transparency and stakeholder participation in recent direct-to-mobile (D2M) trials and are demanding new, technology-neutral tests.
India’s private operators have questioned the recent technical trials of direct-to-mobile (D2M) trials and are demanding new assessments. They say the tests did not comply with the government’s transparent, consultative and technology-neutral framework.
The Confederation of Mobile Operators of India (COAI), whose members include Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea, said the tests were conducted without the participation of telecom operators or device manufacturers and that the terms of reference governing the tests were not shared with stakeholders in advance.
"Direct-to-mobile broadcasting has far-reaching implications for spectrum, networks, devices and consumer safety. Any national-level technical assessment must be transparent, inclusive and technology-neutral, with active participation of all relevant stakeholders," said Maj Gen Dr SP Kochhar, Director General, COAI.
The trials were conducted by public broadcaster Prasar Bharati in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, and technology partners such as Tejas Networks, through its Saankhya Labs unit, which has developed a D2M chipset for devices.
D2M broadcasting allows smartphones to receive video and other multimedia content directly from terrestrial broadcasting towers without an active internet connection or SIM card. It is significant for India, where a significant portion of the population is still unconnected. COAI points out that although its members were involved in the stakeholder discussions, the subsequent release of the technical test report came as a surprise as telecom operators themselves did not participate in the trials.
"Furthermore, COAI said the assessment focused on only one technology standard and ignored mobile-based broadcasting technologies. "The industry has consistently stressed that the national-level assessment of D2M should be technology-neutral, allowing for a fair and objective comparison of all viable options on parameters such as IMT/5G networks, scalability, device impact and long-term spectrum efficiency," COAI said in a statement.
It has also sought a structured public consultation with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). In addition, COAI said any technical assessment should involve all stakeholders, including service providers, device manufacturers, chipset manufacturers, regulators and accredited laboratories.
Via Link