Cross-Continental Collaboration to Unveil Affordable D2M-Enabled Mobile Phones

A US company, Sinclair Inc., has partnered with India's Saankhya Labs and IIT Kanpur’s startup, Free Stream Technologies, to create affordable mobile phones with direct-to-mobile (D2M) broadcast capabilities. Consumer trials will start in 2025, leveraging Saankhya's Pruthvi-3 ATSC 3.0 chipsets. They aim to bring affordable phones to Indian and global markets.

In a groundbreaking move, US-based Sinclair Inc. has teamed up with India's Saankhya Labs and IIT Kanpur-incubated startup Free Stream Technologies to develop cost-effective mobile phones equipped with augmented direct-to-mobile (D2M) broadcast features.

The partnership has announced the commencement of consumer trials to explore the potential of multi-media delivery and datacasting use cases. The trials will include a range of D2M devices such as smartphones, USB dongle accessories, set-top boxes, gateways, and low-cost feature phones, according to a statement by Bengaluru-based Saankhya Labs.

Chris Ripley, president and CEO of Sinclair Inc., indicated that the devices are expected to be launched for trials in the first half of 2025, and are aimed at producing affordable mobile phones for both Indian and global markets. The devices will utilize Saankhya's Pruthvi-3 ATSC 3.0 chipsets, with the company actively collaborating with multiple mobile device suppliers to integrate their award-winning Software Defined Radio (SDR) chipsets, as emphasized by Parag Naik, founder and CEO of Saankhya Labs.

(With inputs from agencies.)