India’s major telecom operators have asked the government of India to re-evaluate its take on direct-to-mobile (D2M) broadcasting. They claim that the recent tests did not involve key stakeholders and had transparency loopholes.
With concerns growing over the potential impact of D2M on national spectrum use and future 5G network planning, a reassessment is necessary.
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Telcos Flag Gaps in Current Evaluation Process
Representing Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) insisted on the importance of transparency, inclusivity and technical neutrality in any national-level technical evaluation.
“The evaluation conducted in late 2025 was limited and excluded telecom operators and device makers from the process. It narrowly focused on interference and device heating, omitting factors like device certification, electromagnetic field compliance, licensing implications, real-world scenarios and ecosystem readiness.”
said S.P. Kochhar, Director-General, COAI
He also added that policy decisions of this scale require complete technical grounding.
Since the terms of reference for the tests were not shared with stakeholders prior to execution, there are many questions regarding procedural fairness and objectivity.
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Impact on Spectrum and 5G Planning Under Scrutiny
Telcos told the government that D2M broadcasting has direct implications for spectrum bands earmarked for current and future 5G services. Any assessment without industry participation could overlook spectrum challenges and impact network planning.
COAI also highlighted the absence of technology neutrality and highlighted that the evaluation focused on a single standard and did not consider alternative global technologies such as cellular-based broadcast solutions.
The industry group has demanded a fresh evaluation that must include:
- Stakeholder-finalised terms of reference
- All relevant technology options
- A structured public consultation (via the Department of Telecom and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India).
The body also urged the development of performance standards and benchmarks in an open consultative process led by the state-owned Telecommunications Engineering Centre.
Without a transparent, inclusive and technology-neutral review, any push on D2M broadcasting risks policy missteps that could complicate India’s spectrum management and 5G roadmap.
