Samsung disagrees with the Indian government’s plan to mandate live TV on phones

The Indian government has shared a proposal with mobile companies to mandate live TV features on smartphones sold in the country. Reportedly, India is aiming to introduce a policy that will require all smartphone companies to introduce the ATSC 3.0 feature on smartphones. Previously, Qualcomm and now Samsung have opposed this idea. The mobile phone companies assert that such a feature will require additional hardware, which will eventually lead to increasing smartphone prices.

ATSC 3.0 or NextGenTV, is famous in the US and supports broadcasting TV signals in 4K resolution. Some letters reviewed by Reuters indicate that the addition of live TV hardware to smartphones will cost $30. On the other hand, the Indian government hopes to incorporate that technology into future mobile phones.

Samsung asserts that this policy will impact its current manufacturing plans. The ICEA (India Cellular and Electronics Association) is a lobbying group for smartphone companies in India. It includes companies like Xiaomi, Apple, and others. Reportedly, ICEA members have opposed this proposal. A letter was sent to the government last month that points out that big international smartphone companies have no support for ATSC 3.0.

In addition to this, Ericsson, Nokia, Qualcomm, and Samsung have sent a letter to India’s communications ministry. Notably, the letter points out that such a feature will impact the battery life as well as cellular network reception of smartphones. Such a feature has less usage in markets like South Korea and the US due to the fact that the devices lack this technology. On the other hand, it is widespread in Japan.

There is no set date for the proposal’s implementation; the Indian government is currently considering it. The Indian government has proposed in recent months to make all phones sold in the nation compatible with NavIC, the nation’s proprietary global positioning and navigation system. The administration also proposed requiring all phones to undergo security testing…