BBC World Service extends US broadcast mobile deal

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BBC World Service has extended the availability of its live radio broadcasts across the US using mobile phone technology.

Following an agreement with AudioNow in North America, World Service broadcasts in English, Persian, Somali and Urdu are now available across the US from any mobile phone, without the need for downloads or data services. The new agreement follows the launch of BBC Arabic radio on US phones earlier this year.

Listeners can access the broadcasts by calling national access numbers, based on which service they wish to hear.

"We are delighted that more BBC World Service multilingual programming is now available to audiences in the US - in English, Persian, Somali or Urdu - thanks to our agreement with AudioNow," Simon Kendall, head of business development at BBC Global News said in a release .

"While we already have significant English-speaking and diaspora audiences listening to the BBC via web-streaming on their PCs, this service takes our connectivity to a different level and provides a more flexible and convenient service for audiences. We have been impressed by the take-up of BBC Arabic via the AudioNow service, and this arrangement builds on that success."

The service is free to callers in the US but users are advised to check individual mobile phone contracts for any additional charges.