Telstra is believed to be considering the setting up of a new broadband service that will allow users to stream unlimited Internet radio content to motor vehicles fitted with a new generation of Internet radio that was launched by Blaupunkt at this week’s CES show in Las Vegas.
The move could have a devastating impact on Australian commercial radio stations with several motor car manufacturers including Ford, GMH, BMW, Audi and Mercedes set to install Internet Radio’s in motor vehicles starting in 2010 say Blaupunkt.
In Australia more than 60% of people listen to radio in their cars a recent SmartHouse study revealed.
A Blaupunkt official at the CES show told ChannelNews that they had shown the new device to Telstra and that “There was every possibility that the telecommunications carrier would consider setting up a special NextG broadband service for Internet radio owners. The service would involve a one off monthly fee of around $29 to $35 a month for unlimited content” they said.
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The new Blaupunkt device which can deliver 30,000 stations to a single car radio which was shown at a CES Innovations event uses technology developed in Australia according to Blaupunkt.
Melbourne based Company miRoamer who describe themselves as online radio aggregators is believed to have signed a global deal with Blaupunkt.
George Parthimos, CEO of miRoamer, said that they had signed deals with thousands of radio will be available when the new Internet Radio is launched. The new service will include both AM and FM stations in Australia.
“The beauty of Internet car radio is the customized user experience,” said George Parthimos, Founder and CEO, miRoamer. “Today, users want to jump in their car and go – no pulling out third-party devices or plugging in cords to access their music and information. miRoamer’s development with Blaupunkt is the first seamless Internet radio solution. Now, with the simple push of a button, users can access AM/FM stations or Internet radio’s thousands of music, entertainment, news and talk stations from around the world, all from the same car stereo.”
The world’s first Internet car radio by Blaupunkt will enable drivers to tune into miRoamer’s tens of thousands of radio stations and really feel like they’re there. Users’ favorite Internet radio stations can be easily chosen via clearly arranged information on a large screen display, enriched by state-of-the art performance in terms of car multimedia and consumer electronics connectivity.
“The move to develop an Internet car radio solution is a new paradigm and a real starting point for in-car digital media,” said Robert Demian, Head of Global Sales, miRoamer. “miRoamer was the first and remains the only true digital media platform. By partnering with Blaupunkt, who has always been recognized as the first to introduce new and innovative products to the car audio markets, consumers now have access to all of the great benefits of Internet radio in their car, while experiencing unparalleled sound quality and reliability that is far superior to what they are accustomed.”
