Optus 'cellcasts' more Macquarie Radio content

Stuart Corner
Wednesday, 06 September 2006 12:39

Your IT - Home IT

Optus and Macquarie Radio Network have launched a mobile pod-casting style service under which Macquarie audio content will be available to Optus mobile customers, selectable by voice commands in response to audio prompts.
The service can be accessed, from Friday September 8, from any Optus mobile by dialling 955 and is delivered using technology from mobile platform provider - OnMobile.

The new service is a development of a similar service, accessed by dialling 966, announced by Optus in June that also offers MRN content selectable by voice prompt and spoken response.

There seems to be some overlap of content between the two services. 966 was promoted at launch as offering:
- The continuously updated Macquarie National News service;
- Program services including Alan Jo
 - Entertainment News including: movie reviews, feature interviews, jokes and gossip news; and
- 2GB Live Radio stream of Ray Hadley's "Continuous Call Team" NRL highlights and game calls via internet stream.

955 content available in phase one includes
- Ray Hadley's "Continuous Call Team" - coverage of rugby league finals' series
- "Continuous Call Team Highlights" - archived radio segments of 2006
- Lifestyle – updated weekly
- Travel & Leisure – updated weekly
- Entertainment content

When the 966 service, and the partnership, were announced in June it was said that calls would be charged at 30 cents per 30 seconds and that additional charges could apply for certain content.

Optus said today that access to the 955 service would be free until 15 October. It would give no other price information, nor any indication of users of the 966 service.