New Delhi, Jan 5 The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) on Monday said that it has urged the authorities to ensure a transparent, consultative and technology-neutral approach in the conduct of technical evaluations related to Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) broadcasting in India.
The industry body noted that the recent technical tests, as carried out, do not fully align with the framework envisaged by the Government and called for a more inclusive and comprehensive evaluation process.
Lt. Gen. Dr. S.P. Kochhar, Director General, COAI stated, “Direct-to-Mobile broadcasting has far-reaching implications for spectrum, networks, devices and consumer safety.”
“Any national-level technical evaluation of such a technology must be transparent, inclusive and technology-neutral, with active participation of all affected stakeholders,” Kochhar stated.
“COAI firmly believes that policy decisions of this magnitude must be grounded in comprehensive, technical assessments to safeguard network integrity, efficient spectrum use and long-term digital growth,” he added.
Recognising its potential impact, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) during a stakeholder meeting held in September 2025, directed that a comprehensive technical evaluation of D2M be undertaken with clearly defined Terms of Reference (ToR), participation of all relevant stakeholders and inclusion of all parallel technology options, as per the cellular association.
The cellular association noted that the approach adopted in conducting the recent D2M tests raises serious concerns regarding transparency, procedural fairness and objectivity.
The absence of stakeholder participation -- particularly telecom operators, whose networks and spectrum resources are directly impacted, as well as device OEMs -- undermines the credibility of conclusions drawn from such an exercise.
The industry has further highlighted that the scope of the tests appears narrowly confined to a limited set of parameters, such as interference and device heating, while excluding several critical technical and ecosystem-related aspects.
These include device certification requirements, electromagnetic field (EMF) compliance, regulatory and licensing implications, real-world usage scenarios, and the readiness of the device and chipset ecosystem.
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