TEC and BECIL join hands to strengthen broadcast technology standards

The partnership aims to enhance India's capabilities in technology standardisation, research and innovation while supporting national initiatives such as Digital India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

The Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC), the technical arm of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Limited (BECIL) to strengthen collaboration in broadcasting and converged communication technologies.

The partnership aims to enhance India's capabilities in technology standardisation, research and innovation while supporting national initiatives such as Digital India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat. Through joint studies and technical contributions, the two organisations will work towards developing India-specific standards and promoting indigenous technological solutions in the broadcasting sector. The agreement was signed in New Delhi by Shri Devendra Singh, Deputy Director General, TEC, and Shri Ramit Lala, Deputy General Manager (Projects), BECIL, in the presence of Shri Syed Tausif Abbas, Senior Deputy Director General and Head of TEC.

Focus on emerging broadcasting and communication technologies

The collaboration establishes a formal framework for TEC and BECIL to jointly conduct research, technical studies and standardisation activities in advanced broadcasting technologies. The key focus areas will be Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) and 5G Broadcast technologies, which have the potential to deliver television and multimedia content directly to mobile devices without relying entirely on conventional internet networks.

The two organisations will also collaborate on Digital Rights Management (DRM) systems for IPTV and other content distribution platforms, Digital Sound Broadcasting (DSB) technologies, and Conditional Access Systems (CAS) and Subscriber Management Systems (SMS) used by television service providers.

In addition, the partnership will explore future technologies such as Further evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (FeMBMS), intelligent broadcasting interfaces powered by artificial intelligence, multimedia services and accessibility solutions designed to improve digital inclusion.

Collaboration to support global standards and indigenous innovation

TEC and BECIL will also provide technical inputs on matters referred by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), helping policymakers with expert recommendations on emerging communication technologies.

The collaboration is expected to strengthen India's participation in international standardisation bodies such as the International Telecommunication Union – Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T), International Telecommunication Union – Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) and the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) through joint technical studies and contributions.

By combining expertise in broadcasting and telecommunications, the partnership aims to accelerate the development of India-specific standards, encourage indigenous technology development and position the country as an active contributor to the future of global broadcasting and convergence technologies.