AudioNow’s new Voice of America (VOA) Somali service, rolled out in
August, has been receiving attention in the specialty media outlets as
it is meeting a vital need at an important time in Somalian history.
“We are happy to provide our partners at VOA with a valuable service,”
stated AudioNow’s Chief Technology Officer, Marcel Barbulescu. “From a
technical standpoint, we are pleased with the positive reviews we’ve
seen in the specialty press, as they validate the versatility and
scalability of our platform. Our expansion continues as planned
according to our long-term strategy of bringing any type of radio and
audio content to any mobile device in the world.”
MobileMediaToolkit article follows.
Contact Information:
At AudioNow:
Jennifer Friesen
Director of Public Affairs
Jennifer.Friesen@AudioNow.com
From Somalia to the UK, 24-hour Audio News Coverage via Mobile
Somalia is suffering though its worst drought in 60 years, and people
are fleeing the famine and conflict. A large number of Somalians already
live in diasporas across Africa, Europe, and North America. A new
service from Voice of America’s Somalia Service and AudioNow makes it
easier for Somalians in the United Kingdom to listen to coverage of the
drought and other audio news updates, via a basic mobile phone.
“You have a well-educated, motivated, and mobile population that is
willing to dial up and listen to radio broadcasts on their mobile
phones,” said Steven Ferri, Web Managing Editor of VOA in Africa.The new
service allows people to do just that. Using a basic mobile or landline
phone, people call a local UK number to listen to extensive live
coverage of Somalian news, 24 hours a day. George Cernat, of AudioNow,
estimates that every day, about 1500 to 2000 people access the VOA
Somalia content on their phones. The only cost for the user are the fees
or time associated with regular airtime use.
MobileActive.org spoke with Ferri and Cernat to hear more about the mobile radio service and where else it is being used.
How the Service Works
In the UK, people call a local number (020 3519 3010) and are
immediately connected to a live stream; there are no menu options as
with a traditional integrated voice response system. The AudioNow
service is a proprietary technology that converts Internet audio formats
and streams the content to a gateway server. The service then relays
the stream to people who call in to the pre-established (and promoted)
local number. On the backend, the system has a built-in logic to
recognize the various audio formats as well as the ability to
continually update the location of the content on the Internet, and,
hence, via mobile.
There are other ways to access radio on a mobile phone. Some phones use
data service to access radio via the Internet, many smartphones have
radio apps, and other phones have FM receiver chips. But data is
expensive, apps require more expensive smartphones, and receiver chips
may have spotty or unreliable coverage. The call-in functionality of the
VOA and AudioNow service allows anyone in the UK to access the content,
on a landline or a basic feature phone, and the only cost to the user
are regular airtime costs. Content can be broadcast in any language or
format.
Cernat describes the service as “satellite radio on a phone.” The
service woks like online radio, where a user clicks on a live stream to
listen to content over the Internet. Here, you connect via mobile phone
instead of online.
Partnerships with Radio Stations and Telecoms
AudioNow charges radio stations a one-time connection fee of 200 USD to
connect an MP3 stream and provide a local number. It’s up to the radio
station to promote the service and number. Cernat said that the service
can provide the scale many radio stations are looking for, as an
unlimited number of users can call in to the service at any time.
Another partnership occurs at the level of the mobile network operator.
AudioNow works with various telecoms to find the lowest cost provider in
establishing local numbers. In some cases, such as recent mobile radio
service in Guinea, AudioNow set up the gateway server at the teleco in
Conakry, as it was easier to co-locate the service there than to serve
it via the US.
Metrics on Listeners
AudioNow also provides metrics to its partners via a daily email and
online. Radio stations can run reports and see the number of users, the
time of day users call, the length of time listened, and the numbers
that people call from.
In the UK, for example, Cernat said about 1500 to 2000 listeners a day
call in to hear news from Somalia. At the station end, Ferri receives
daily metrics and is able to see numbers day over day or week over week,
which helps VOA observe trends, get a better sense of growth potential,
and understand the type of news and events that people respond to.
Other Uses, In and Out of Country
So far, most AudioNow partner stations are in the US and the UK, as this
is operationally easier, Cernat said. But in the past months VOA and
AudioNow have launched services in Guinea, Liberia, and Latin America.
The mobile radio service holds potential for ethnic groups to tap into
news and events from their homeland, but it can also be used in-country.
In Guinea, the VOA uses the mobile service almost as a “Plan B” for
content delivery. Traditional news dissemination in the country (via
radio, TV, and the Internet) can be intermittently shut down by
government or disrupted due to unreliable infrastructure. During times
of high instability, providing a way for people to call a local number
for news and information is key. “If everything else breaks down, we
will still have dial-up audio available,” Feri said.
Other major broadcasters have begun mobile distribution in Guinea and
Liberia, including the BBC and Radio France Internationale (RFI). The
service is hosted on the Cellcom mobile network; Cellcom subscribers
also have the option of calling a short code with a reduced flat rate.
The numbers to call are:
Cellcom Guinea:
BBC: Short Code: 501, Full Number: 65100991
RFI: Short Code: 502, Full Number: 65100992
VOA: Short Code: 503, Full Number: 65100993
Cellcom Liberia:
BBC: Short Code: 330, Full Number: 0777999330
RFI: Short Code: 331, Full Number: 0777999331
VOA: Short Code: 332, Full Number: 0777999332
AudioNow is being used outside of established radio broadcast stations,
too. In the US, the Maryland Transit Administration uses the service so
MTA users can dial a local number to listen to official traffic updates
on the go.
AudioNow’s new Voice of America (VOA) Somali service, rolled out in
August, has been receiving attention in the specialty media outlets as
it is meeting a vital need at an important time in Somalian history.
“We are happy to provide our partners at VOA with a valuable service,”
stated AudioNow’s Chief Technology Officer, Marcel Barbulescu. “From a
technical standpoint, we are pleased with the positive reviews we’ve
seen in the specialty press, as they validate the versatility and
scalability of our platform. Our expansion continues as planned
according to our long-term strategy of bringing any type of radio and
audio content to any mobile device in the world.”
MobileMediaToolkit article follows.
Contact Information:
At AudioNow:
Jennifer Friesen
Director of Public Affairs
Jennifer.Friesen@AudioNow.com
From Somalia to the UK, 24-hour Audio News Coverage via Mobile
Somalia is suffering though its worst drought in 60 years, and people
are fleeing the famine and conflict. A large number of Somalians already
live in diasporas across Africa, Europe, and North America. A new
service from Voice of America’s Somalia Service and AudioNow makes it
easier for Somalians in the United Kingdom to listen to coverage of the
drought and other audio news updates, via a basic mobile phone.
“You have a well-educated, motivated, and mobile population that is
willing to dial up and listen to radio broadcasts on their mobile
phones,” said Steven Ferri, Web Managing Editor of VOA in Africa.The new
service allows people to do just that. Using a basic mobile or landline
phone, people call a local UK number to listen to extensive live
coverage of Somalian news, 24 hours a day. George Cernat, of AudioNow,
estimates that every day, about 1500 to 2000 people access the VOA
Somalia content on their phones. The only cost for the user are the fees
or time associated with regular airtime use.
MobileActive.org spoke with Ferri and Cernat to hear more about the mobile radio service and where else it is being used.
How the Service Works
In the UK, people call a local number (020 3519 3010) and are
immediately connected to a live stream; there are no menu options as
with a traditional integrated voice response system. The AudioNow
service is a proprietary technology that converts Internet audio formats
and streams the content to a gateway server. The service then relays
the stream to people who call in to the pre-established (and promoted)
local number. On the backend, the system has a built-in logic to
recognize the various audio formats as well as the ability to
continually update the location of the content on the Internet, and,
hence, via mobile.
There are other ways to access radio on a mobile phone. Some phones use
data service to access radio via the Internet, many smartphones have
radio apps, and other phones have FM receiver chips. But data is
expensive, apps require more expensive smartphones, and receiver chips
may have spotty or unreliable coverage. The call-in functionality of the
VOA and AudioNow service allows anyone in the UK to access the content,
on a landline or a basic feature phone, and the only cost to the user
are regular airtime costs. Content can be broadcast in any language or
format.
Cernat describes the service as “satellite radio on a phone.” The
service woks like online radio, where a user clicks on a live stream to
listen to content over the Internet. Here, you connect via mobile phone
instead of online.
Partnerships with Radio Stations and Telecoms
AudioNow charges radio stations a one-time connection fee of 200 USD to
connect an MP3 stream and provide a local number. It’s up to the radio
station to promote the service and number. Cernat said that the service
can provide the scale many radio stations are looking for, as an
unlimited number of users can call in to the service at any time.
Another partnership occurs at the level of the mobile network operator.
AudioNow works with various telecoms to find the lowest cost provider in
establishing local numbers. In some cases, such as recent mobile radio
service in Guinea, AudioNow set up the gateway server at the teleco in
Conakry, as it was easier to co-locate the service there than to serve
it via the US.
Metrics on Listeners
AudioNow also provides metrics to its partners via a daily email and
online. Radio stations can run reports and see the number of users, the
time of day users call, the length of time listened, and the numbers
that people call from.
In the UK, for example, Cernat said about 1500 to 2000 listeners a day
call in to hear news from Somalia. At the station end, Ferri receives
daily metrics and is able to see numbers day over day or week over week,
which helps VOA observe trends, get a better sense of growth potential,
and understand the type of news and events that people respond to.
Other Uses, In and Out of Country
So far, most AudioNow partner stations are in the US and the UK, as this
is operationally easier, Cernat said. But in the past months VOA and
AudioNow have launched services in Guinea, Liberia, and Latin America.
The mobile radio service holds potential for ethnic groups to tap into
news and events from their homeland, but it can also be used in-country.
In Guinea, the VOA uses the mobile service almost as a “Plan B” for
content delivery. Traditional news dissemination in the country (via
radio, TV, and the Internet) can be intermittently shut down by
government or disrupted due to unreliable infrastructure. During times
of high instability, providing a way for people to call a local number
for news and information is key. “If everything else breaks down, we
will still have dial-up audio available,” Feri said.
Other major broadcasters have begun mobile distribution in Guinea and
Liberia, including the BBC and Radio France Internationale (RFI). The
service is hosted on the Cellcom mobile network; Cellcom subscribers
also have the option of calling a short code with a reduced flat rate.
The numbers to call are:
Cellcom Guinea:
BBC: Short Code: 501, Full Number: 65100991
RFI: Short Code: 502, Full Number: 65100992
VOA: Short Code: 503, Full Number: 65100993
Cellcom Liberia:
BBC: Short Code: 330, Full Number: 0777999330
RFI: Short Code: 331, Full Number: 0777999331
VOA: Short Code: 332, Full Number: 0777999332
AudioNow is being used outside of established radio broadcast stations,
too. In the US, the Maryland Transit Administration uses the service so
MTA users can dial a local number to listen to official traffic updates
on the go.
AudioNow’s new Voice of America (VOA) Somali service, rolled out in
August, has been receiving attention in the specialty media outlets as
it is meeting a vital need at an important time in Somalian history.
“We are happy to provide our partners at VOA with a valuable service,”
stated AudioNow’s Chief Technology Officer, Marcel Barbulescu. “From a
technical standpoint, we are pleased with the positive reviews we’ve
seen in the specialty press, as they validate the versatility and
scalability of our platform. Our expansion continues as planned
according to our long-term strategy of bringing any type of radio and
audio content to any mobile device in the world.”
MobileMediaToolkit article follows.
Contact Information:
At AudioNow:
Jennifer Friesen
Director of Public Affairs
Jennifer.Friesen@AudioNow.com
From Somalia to the UK, 24-hour Audio News Coverage via Mobile
Somalia is suffering though its worst drought in 60 years, and people
are fleeing the famine and conflict. A large number of Somalians already
live in diasporas across Africa, Europe, and North America. A new
service from Voice of America’s Somalia Service and AudioNow makes it
easier for Somalians in the United Kingdom to listen to coverage of the
drought and other audio news updates, via a basic mobile phone.
“You have a well-educated, motivated, and mobile population that is
willing to dial up and listen to radio broadcasts on their mobile
phones,” said Steven Ferri, Web Managing Editor of VOA in Africa.The new
service allows people to do just that. Using a basic mobile or landline
phone, people call a local UK number to listen to extensive live
coverage of Somalian news, 24 hours a day. George Cernat, of AudioNow,
estimates that every day, about 1500 to 2000 people access the VOA
Somalia content on their phones. The only cost for the user are the fees
or time associated with regular airtime use.
MobileActive.org spoke with Ferri and Cernat to hear more about the mobile radio service and where else it is being used.
How the Service Works
In the UK, people call a local number (020 3519 3010) and are
immediately connected to a live stream; there are no menu options as
with a traditional integrated voice response system. The AudioNow
service is a proprietary technology that converts Internet audio formats
and streams the content to a gateway server. The service then relays
the stream to people who call in to the pre-established (and promoted)
local number. On the backend, the system has a built-in logic to
recognize the various audio formats as well as the ability to
continually update the location of the content on the Internet, and,
hence, via mobile.
There are other ways to access radio on a mobile phone. Some phones use
data service to access radio via the Internet, many smartphones have
radio apps, and other phones have FM receiver chips. But data is
expensive, apps require more expensive smartphones, and receiver chips
may have spotty or unreliable coverage. The call-in functionality of the
VOA and AudioNow service allows anyone in the UK to access the content,
on a landline or a basic feature phone, and the only cost to the user
are regular airtime costs. Content can be broadcast in any language or
format.
Cernat describes the service as “satellite radio on a phone.” The
service woks like online radio, where a user clicks on a live stream to
listen to content over the Internet. Here, you connect via mobile phone
instead of online.
Partnerships with Radio Stations and Telecoms
AudioNow charges radio stations a one-time connection fee of 200 USD to
connect an MP3 stream and provide a local number. It’s up to the radio
station to promote the service and number. Cernat said that the service
can provide the scale many radio stations are looking for, as an
unlimited number of users can call in to the service at any time.
Another partnership occurs at the level of the mobile network operator.
AudioNow works with various telecoms to find the lowest cost provider in
establishing local numbers. In some cases, such as recent mobile radio
service in Guinea, AudioNow set up the gateway server at the teleco in
Conakry, as it was easier to co-locate the service there than to serve
it via the US.
Metrics on Listeners
AudioNow also provides metrics to its partners via a daily email and
online. Radio stations can run reports and see the number of users, the
time of day users call, the length of time listened, and the numbers
that people call from.
In the UK, for example, Cernat said about 1500 to 2000 listeners a day
call in to hear news from Somalia. At the station end, Ferri receives
daily metrics and is able to see numbers day over day or week over week,
which helps VOA observe trends, get a better sense of growth potential,
and understand the type of news and events that people respond to.
Other Uses, In and Out of Country
So far, most AudioNow partner stations are in the US and the UK, as this
is operationally easier, Cernat said. But in the past months VOA and
AudioNow have launched services in Guinea, Liberia, and Latin America.
The mobile radio service holds potential for ethnic groups to tap into
news and events from their homeland, but it can also be used in-country.
In Guinea, the VOA uses the mobile service almost as a “Plan B” for
content delivery. Traditional news dissemination in the country (via
radio, TV, and the Internet) can be intermittently shut down by
government or disrupted due to unreliable infrastructure. During times
of high instability, providing a way for people to call a local number
for news and information is key. “If everything else breaks down, we
will still have dial-up audio available,” Feri said.
Other major broadcasters have begun mobile distribution in Guinea and
Liberia, including the BBC and Radio France Internationale (RFI). The
service is hosted on the Cellcom mobile network; Cellcom subscribers
also have the option of calling a short code with a reduced flat rate.
The numbers to call are:
Cellcom Guinea:
BBC: Short Code: 501, Full Number: 65100991
RFI: Short Code: 502, Full Number: 65100992
VOA: Short Code: 503, Full Number: 65100993
Cellcom Liberia:
BBC: Short Code: 330, Full Number: 0777999330
RFI: Short Code: 331, Full Number: 0777999331
VOA: Short Code: 332, Full Number: 0777999332
AudioNow is being used outside of established radio broadcast stations,
too. In the US, the Maryland Transit Administration uses the service so
MTA users can dial a local number to listen to official traffic updates
on the go.