Samsung, Qualcomm Oppose India's Plan to Bring Live TV on Smartphones

Major smartphone makers, including Samsung and Qualcomm, have opposed India's plan to mandate that all smartphones support technology to enable live TV broadcasts directly on devices.

In letters to India's Ministry of Communications reviewed by Reuters, Samsung, Qualcomm, Ericsson, and Nokia have argued that supporting the proposed ATSC 3.0 technology would require significant hardware changes that could increase costs by $30 per device. They say it could also negatively impact battery life and cellular reception.

The companies say their current crop of smartphones sold in India are not equipped to support ATSC 3.0, which allows precise geo-locating of TV signals and provides high-quality video. Adding compatibility would require more components, raising costs.

The proposal is part of India's efforts to ease congestion on telecom networks resulting from growing video consumption. However, the technology has seen limited adoption globally.

The India Cellular and Electronics Association, which represents Apple, Xiaomi and other smartphone makers, also privately opposed the move in a letter dated October 16. It argued that no major manufacturer currently supports ATSC 3.0.