DoT’s TEC, BECIL partner to develop standards for D2M, IPTV and 5G Broadcast

In a move that could accelerate India's push towards next-generation broadcasting and convergence technologies, the Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC), the technical arm of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), has entered into a strategic partnership with Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Limited (BECIL) to jointly develop technical standards for emerging platforms such as Direct-to-Mobile (D2M), IPTV and 5G Broadcast.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) comes at a time when India is exploring new broadcast distribution models that can reduce dependence on traditional terrestrial and satellite infrastructure while improving spectrum efficiency and expanding digital content delivery.

Under the agreement, TEC and BECIL will undertake joint studies, technical research and standardisation activities across a range of convergence and broadcasting technologies. The collaboration is also aimed at strengthening India's participation in global standards-setting forums, including the International Telecommunication Union (ITU-T and ITU-R) and the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP).

The partnership assumes significance as policymakers and industry stakeholders continue to evaluate the commercial rollout of Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) broadcasting, a technology that enables live television, emergency alerts and multimedia content to be delivered directly to compatible smartphones without relying on mobile data networks.

Officials said the collaboration will focus on developing India-specific standards and testing frameworks for D2M and 5G Broadcast technologies, which are increasingly being viewed as key enablers of large-scale public content distribution, disaster communications and efficient spectrum utilisation.

Beyond D2M, the two organisations will also collaborate on Digital Rights Management (DRM) technologies for IPTV and other digital content distribution platforms. The work is expected to support secure content delivery as IPTV services continue to gain traction alongside traditional cable and satellite television platforms.

The scope of the collaboration also includes studies on Conditional Access Systems (CAS) and Subscriber Management Systems (SMS), both of which form the technological backbone of pay television distribution and content access management.

In addition, TEC and BECIL will jointly examine future broadcast technologies, including Further evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (FeMBMS), AI-enabled broadcasting capabilities, integrated broadband cable network enhancements, digital accessibility features and intelligent user interface technologies.

The two organisations will also undertake studies on Digital Sound Broadcasting (DSB), reflecting the government's broader focus on modernising broadcast infrastructure across television, radio and digital multimedia services.

Officials said the MoU establishes a formal mechanism for the two organisations to work together on technical studies and provide expert recommendations on issues referred by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), the Department of Telecommunications and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

Industry observers believe the partnership could help India build indigenous intellectual property and technical capabilities in broadcast technologies at a time when global standards are evolving rapidly with the convergence of telecom and media networks.

The collaboration also aligns with the government's Digital India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiatives by supporting the development of home-grown standards while increasing India's contribution to international standardisation efforts.

The agreement was signed by Devendra Singh, Deputy Director General, TEC, and Ramit Lala, Deputy General Manager (Projects), BECIL, in the presence of Syed Tausif Abbas, Senior Deputy Director General and Head of TEC, in New Delhi.