BBC iPlayer coming to Nokia N96 and other mobiles

The BBC has announced a deal with Nokia which will allow some of their mobiles to download programmes using the BBC iPlayer.

From October, users can download an application onto their phone which will give them the capability to run the BBC iPlayer.  Importantly, users can also download programmes for viewing later as well as streaming them.  The access would operate on 3G technology and will be wireless compatible.

The newly released Nokia N96 will be one of the first mobiles to be able to use the iPlayer.

Nokia says that they will not charge for using it, but users need to check their mobile contract to see if there will be any charges for Internet access.  Although some mobile contracts do include a free Internet bundle, it is still worth checking the terms, as the mobile operator may use a fair-use policy for Internet access.

The amount of data that will be downloaded using the iPlayer could break that fair-use policy.  If in doubt, users could call their mobile operator’s customer support to make sure.

On the deal with Nokia, Erik Huggers, BBC Director of Future Media and Technology, said: “This partnership is critical to ensuring we continue to reach out to audiences wherever they are and allow them to catch-up on their favourite BBC programmes.”