Ericsson, Napster Mobile deal with Entel PCS Chile

Ericsson and Napster have signed an agreement with leading Chilean operator Entel PCS to launch the first Napster Mobile service in Latin America.

Under the agreement, Ericsson will have end-to-end responsibility for systems integration, management of the day-to-day operations and development of the service, which features Napster’s catalog of more than three million songs. The agreement also includes content and digital rights management, enabling the operator to launch the service easily and cost efficiently.

Napster Mobile is based on Ericsson’s service delivery platform and will enable Entel PCS’s subscribers to search, browse, preview and purchase content via i-shop (the mobile portal of Entel PCS) wireless handsets. The service offers a dual-delivery option for simultaneous downloads to subscribers’ mobile phones and PCs.

“We are excited to add Latin America to our global footprint, which also includes the North American, Japanese and European markets,” said Brad Duea, President of Napster. “Through our partnership with Ericsson, we look forward to offering a superior mobile music experience to Entel PCS customers.”

Entel PCS has more than 5.5 million subscribers and was the first operator in Latin America to introduce GSM and GPRS services.