Using BT’s Movio technology, Virgin will begin offering five digital television channels and 350 radio stations through its handsets to UK subscribers. The channels will be normal services, as available on home television sets, and will not need to be downloaded to the handset.
The deal, announced at the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona, will make Virgin Mobile Europe’s first provider to offer the service. It is expected to be rolled out later in the year.
Although rates have yet to be revealed, the service is thought to be the next big evolution in the mobile phone industry and could prove a major success for the operator, which is currently an acquisition target for NTL.
