Telecom major Bharti has knocked the doors of the government for permission to begin mobile TV pilots in Delhi. It is demanding a ?level-playing field? be laid down since the public broadcaster Prasar Bharati has already begun test-run of the service in the national capital.
According to a source in the information and broadcasting ministry, ?Bharti has sought permission to offer the services, just as is being done by Prasar Bharati that is offering Doordarshan channels on its mobile TV platform.? It proposes to use DVBH (Digital video broadcasting for handhelds) platform to provide TV services on cell phones, the source added. Interestingly, the telecom major has mentioned the test run of Prasar Bharati in the national capital and has demanded that a ?level-playing field? should be there in the segment and it should be opened to the private sector. Though Bharti?s request is likely to be rejected currently as the government has not opened terrestrial network for the private sector, it should take heart from a recent recommendation of an internal committee of the I&B ministry that suggested that private players be allowed on lease-share basis.
Bharti has said mobile TV was in place in various developed markets and pointed out that phones supporting the service were already available in the market. It said it was within the reach of the mobile consumers in India and thus the company be allowed to begin test run for it. The DVBH technology is a operator-neutral platform and offers service through the ?broadcast mode,? say those associated with Doordarshan?s platform. ?In broadcast mode, we broadcast earmarked channels through our transmitters and anybody with DVBH phones will receive them. It is straight from the transmitter to the receiver,? an official said.
He pointed out that offering mobile TV through the network of telecom operators was not feasible in India as 3G, that would make the process easier and faster, is yet to come in. Prasar Bharati is currently offering its service in a 10-12 km radius around Parliament Street area and is offering eight national channels.