Doctor Who episodes coming to your mobile phone

Vodafone, 3 and Orange customers to get BBC TV shows via 3G

30 March 2007 17:42 GMT / By Stuart Miles

You’ll soon be able to catch Eastenders, The Apprentice and Doctor Who on the go following a deal with Orange, Vodafone and 3 with the BBC.

The trial, which starts next month, will last up to 12 months and allow customers to be able to view BBC One, BBC Three and BBC News 24 and listen to Radio 1, Radio 2, Radio 3, Radio 4, 6 Music, BBC7 and Asian Network.

Ashley Highfield, Director of Future Media and Technology, said: "By making a range of television channels and radio networks available to 3G mobile phone subscribers, we hope to test not only the effectiveness of 3G as a means of distribution, but also how audiences respond to the BBC's linear services on their mobiles".

Separately, the BBC has also launched an enhanced version of bbc.co.uk/mobile, which is available to all mobile phones with browsers capable of displaying XHTML pages.

Users will benefit from improved navigation and design, with scope in the future for additional functionality. The enhanced service also includes a redesigned BBC Weather which features Radio 4's The Shipping Forecast.

"The BBC believes that mobile content is an important part of the broadcasting landscape and is looking at ways in which mobile devices will shape services of the future for licence fee payers", said Richard Halton, BBC Controller of Business Strategy, "The BBC constantly aims to make its content available to as many people in as many ways as possible.”