TVU Networks Pioneers Breakthrough Coverage of World's Largest Religious Gathering in India

TVU Networks provided professional broadcasting solutions to cover one of the world's largest religious gatherings.

CUPERTINO, Calif., Feb. 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- TVU Networks has successfully delivered comprehensive live coverage of the Maha Kumbh Mela festival in Prayagraj, India, marking a significant advancement in religious event broadcasting. The six-week spiritual gathering, occurring from January 13 to February 26, 2025, is expected to draw 450 million devotees to the confluence of three sacred rivers—the Ganges, Yamuna, and Saraswati.

The technical hurdles proved formidable: massive network saturation from hundreds of thousands of concentrated participants, challenging terrain creating persistent signal coverage gaps, and the imperative for extensive mobile broadcasting that demanded both portability and unwavering signal reliability. In response, media outlets deployed TVU Networks' sophisticated three broadcasting solutions, engineered specifically to address these complex demands.

At the ground level, mobile reporting teams utilize TVU One backpacks, enabling fluid, dynamic coverage across the festival grounds. These sophisticated portable units harness proprietary Inverse StatMux Plus (IS+) transmission technology, working in concert with HEVC format smart VBR encoding and FEC. This technological convergence enables reporters to transmit pristine, stable live broadcasts from the most crowded bathing areas and ceremonial sites.

Strategic positioning of broadcast vehicles and temporary studios throughout the festival grounds forms the second solution of coverage. These vehicles, equipped with TVU MLink transmitters and arrays of omnidirectional antennas, substantially expand signal reach. The professional-grade transmitters excel through sophisticated multi-network aggregation, seamlessly integrating 5G, 4G, WiFi, and ethernet connections to establish dependable transmission channels even amid intense network congestion.

The third solution comprises TVU Rack Router 5G units serving as advanced network hubs within temporary studios. These robust systems simultaneously maintain connections to up to six 5G cellular networks while preserving compatibility with satellite, microwave, WiFi, and ethernet connections. This versatility ensures stable internet access with a remarkable bandwidth capacity reaching 1Gbps, supporting the entire array of electronic and broadcasting equipment.

"We are incredibly proud to provide the technological backbone for broadcasting this historic spiritual gathering," said Subodh Aggarwal, General Manager for South Asia at TVU Networks. "Our solutions address the unique challenges of the Kumbh Mela—from network congestion to diverse broadcasting requirements. This successful implementation demonstrates our ability to deliver reliable solutions in demanding environments, setting a new benchmark for large-scale event coverage in India."

source: TVU Networks