Virgin Radio Offers 3G broadcast

Virgin Radio has teamed with Sydus to launch what could possibly be the first radio station to be broadcast via 3G networks. The service is available to anyone in the world with an appropriate handset and a telco that allows 3G connection to outside sites, and will be made available free of charge.

Virgin says an hour’s listening to the station via mobile would involve about 7.2MB of data, which could prove expensive for people using pay as you download GPRS or 3G services. Some UK networks, such as Orange, charge up to £1 for every one megabyte of data downloaded.

Virgin says radio via 2G or 3G mobiles is therefore going to appeal to people with unlimited download deals. There are 30 compatible handsets available from major manufacturers including Nokia and Samsung while Virgin said more than 14.9 million consumers across the globe can use the service currently.

BBC Article