HMD to Launch D2M Phones in India with Free Stream Tech

HMD has announced a collaboration with Free Stream Technologies and several other partners to introduce mobile phones featuring Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) technology in India.

This feature allows phones to have access to OTT content, live TV, videos, audios, and text without having Wi-Fi or internet. The news comes just before the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025, which will take place from 1 and 4 May at the Jio World Centre in Mumbai.

HMD Partners with Free Stream Tech to Launch Affordable Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) Phones in India

HMD also announced that these new D2M-enabled phones will be made in India. The devices will follow an affordable design, so that it would be within reach for everyone. HMD, moreover, confirmed Tejas Networks had been selected to supply the tech its future devices will run. The D2M technology has been tested over the last few years by Prasar Bharati in partnership with Tejas Networks and IIT Kanpur.

Tejas Networks, notably, is also associated with BSNL’s 4G and 5G deployments. This announcement comes just before India begins large-scale field trials of the D2M technology. Initial trials were conducted last year across several cities, including Delhi, Noida, and Bengaluru. According to a report from The New Indian Express, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting considered these early trials “reasonably successful.”

The second phase, which will involve long-term trials, is expected to begin soon, although a specific start date has not yet been confirmed. D2M technology merges broadcast and broadband capabilities, allowing the transmission of various types of content, such as OTT streaming, live TV, emergency alerts, and software updates, directly to users over set frequencies, similar to FM radio. Besides providing direct content delivery, it also eases congestion on mobile networks by bypassing internet data usage.

FAQs