Quick question. BBC radio I player app.

Just down loaded the app for my iPhone. On an O2 monthly contract.

If I use this app with 3G (not wifi) will I get charged?

Depends on your data allowance. It will be free up to your limit, usually 500mb/1GB, then it will be charged after that.

Does it stream radio over the Internet? Yes, if so. Data is data, regardless of what it is.

EDIT – yeah, good point Jamie. It’ll use up your data allowance. Whether you’ll be charged more depends on your contract.

You’ll get charged once you’ve used up the data allowance that forms part of your contract if you are using it on a 3G network. Across wifi (which O2 provides in lots of places) you’ll not get charged.

Does anyone know how long it would take to use up a 500mb allowance?

I’m pretty thick at this. Don’t want to buy a digital radio for car so thought this would be as good as.

You always download the My O2 App, and monitor the data you have left via that?

Data is only monitored on Pay Monthly accounts.

To be honest if you’re using this while driving you may well struggle unless you only travel in areas with very good 3G coverage. Expecting the phone to constantly search, lock onto and download data on the move is going to eat battery, and provide a very variable service.

The data feed from the app is not great, but it will certainly drop off if you move into a low / no 3G coverage area.

According to the BBC website the iplayer app used for 60mins may use as much as 60mb of data.

Does anyone know how long it would take to use up a 500mb allowance?

Solely from Internet radio use? Depends on the quality of the stream. According to:

http://iplayerhelp.external.bbc.co.uk/help/mobile_iplayer/3G_iplayer_cost

You’re looking a meg a minute. So, about eight hours.

For in-car use it’s almost certainly going to be a non-starter.

Have you considered a Spotify premium account? Tenner a month and you can download playlists over wifi for later playback offline.

Aftermarket DAB add-on will pay for itself in twelve months compared to Spotify, mind.

Cheers folks. Good options there. Going on a night shift so got plenty of time to sort it! 😉