Ericsson has launched a cordless Internet radio based on the Bluetooth wire replacement system at the CeBIT technology show in Hannover, Germany, where wireless Bluetooth and second-generation cellular technologies are a fiercely competed arena.
Ericsson says the radio will open up new worlds of entertainment for consumers by bringing mobility to online media.
The 1.2kg H100 radio connects to the Internet via a Bluetooth base station within a 100m radius, with the base station itself situated on a cable modem or other high-speed access point. The radio supports streams of up to 320kbps.
Users can browse a list of streaming stations tailor-made for the system by a content partner using an interface of single-purpose buttons and an LCD screen. With two small 2W speakers, the battery life is up to five hours as the system spends little power in data transmission.
At 307mm x 170mm x 115mm, the unit is easily portable and the transmission range will cover the average home or office.
Ericsson says the H100 will be available in "a choice of colours to ensure it matches your d'ecor", including a lurid orange and lime green.
The radio also features a favourite station and song list, can act as an MP3 jukebox and has a built-in alarm function.
The unit is a joint initiative between Ericsson and MTV Networks division MTVi, which controls music sites such as MTV.com and Sonicnet.com. MTV Networks is owned by Viacom.
"The companies will explore strategic partnership opportunities regarding marketing, co-branding, distribution and sales of products," says Ericsson, which recently outsourced the manufacturing of its cellphone handsets.
Radios are expected to be available in the US and Europe toward the end of this year, but are unlikely to be seen in SA, where broadband access infrastructure is not available.
Adrian Crouch, Ericsson product manager of home communications, says the H100 will likely be distributed through broadband service providers and will be packaged with a pre-paired base station chip. "We may even see a scenario where service providers offer radios for free to stimulate traffic on their network, and there are other options apart from outright sale," he says.
Also on show is Ericsson`s take on a Web access appliance for the home, the H610, which combines a speakerphone, Web browser and e-mail client. A similar appliance manufactured by Siemens for Deutsche Telekom named the T-Sinus is also on show.
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