No data? No problem: HMD and Lava to launch D2M phones with Live TV access without internet

Indian smartphone manufacturers Lava and the global hardware player HMD are gearing up to launch a new generation of phones, which will be able to receive live TV and digital content without the need for Wi-Fi or mobile data. Direct to Mobile (D2M) technology, which is this exciting innovation, will be showcased at World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025, starting May 1 at Jio World Centre, Mumbai.

Lava D2M phone: A glimpse into the future

The feature phone, D2M, is a Tejas Networks product and Lava International will unveil it. The device runs on a MediaTek MT6261 chipset and features the SL3000 D2M chip by Saankhya Labs that allows it to receive digital TV content via a built-in UHF antenna. Other key features include a 2.8 inch QVGA display, 2,200 mAh battery and GSM support for regular voice calls.
Lava’s D2M feature phone is differentiated with its ability to stream live TV, videos and important messages directly via terrestrial broadcast signal without internet connectivity.
It is equipped with a 2.8 inch QVGA display and built in ultra high frequency (UHF) antenna so that users can access live TV channels and even in places with no internet access. The phone is powered by the MediaTek MT6261 chipset, and also comes with Saankhya Labs’ SL3000 Software Defined Receiver, allowing the users to get reliable TV reception as well as GSM connectivity for voice calls.
The phone has been developed by Lava’s in-house R&D team and is one of the many Make in India innovations that the company has been pushing hard for. The D2M technology will soon be rolled out nationally in field trials.

Lava D2M phone: HMD’s role & global tech collaboration

The same SL3000 chipset is being used by HMD, the maker of Nokia phones, to work on D2M enabled devices. Powered by a Core Network platform, their smartphones will support targeted ads, content delivery network (CDN) offload, educational content, emergency alerts and more.
The US based telecom giant Sinclair Inc. is providing its ATSC 3.0 broadcast technology (already used in the US for digital TV). The company is also developing the future ready B2X (Broadcast to Everything) technology for the 6G era.

Future outlook

This innovation is not a theory, but thanks to testing already done by Prasar Bharati, IIT Kanpur, and Tejas Networks, it is ready for action. With D2M, content delivery in India could be revolutionized to provide affordable access to live TV, educational content and emergency alerts without any internet connection even in remote or low connectivity regions. As HMD and Lava prepare to roll out these futuristic phones, India might be taking a big leap toward data-free digital access for all.

Disclaimer: The information regarding the gadgets/devices listed in the table and article has been sourced from various secondary sources. For detailed product specifications, please refer to the brand sources.