The BBC iPlayer will become available on mobile for the first time following a partnership with Nokia. The audio and video catch-up service is set to be included as an application on the high-end Nokia N96 from 1 October.

Two further phones from rival manufacturers are to be rolled out before Christmas. An iPlayer beta version has been available on the Apple iPhone since March with a full launch anticipated. The iPlayer will allow consumers to stream or download radio and TV programmes from the last seven days to their phone via Wi-Fi or 3G connectivity for free.

Matthew Postgate, director of mobile for the BBC, said it was important to offer consumers access to the service wherever they were. "It's as close to the PC version as it can get and it will become better in some ways," he said. He added these extra benefits would include the addition of functionality such as buddy lists. "The opportunity is to move rich media on mobile forward and we want to deliver on the iPlayer's promise to be a multi-platform proposition," said Postgate.

Simon Ainslie, MD of Nokia UK, said, "We're very excited to bring two of the biggest brands together. We will continue to roll it out further as and when the devices meet the requirements for the products," said Ainslie. He added he was keen to make the BBC service a mass market proposition.

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