Freeplay Energy launches Bluetooth option for Encore radio range

Press Release

London, June 2017: Freeplay Energy is proud to announce the launch of a new Bluetooth option for the Encore range of off-grid radios.

Freeplay Encore Player 1 lr_webThe Bluetooth feature is designed to support education in off-grid environments by enabling teachers who have downloaded educational content to their mobile phones to then play it back through the radios’ speakers. Educators will be able to use a wide range of previously inaccessible content, whilst students will benefit from a broader curriculum, improved educational opportunities and, ultimately, enhanced life chances.

This Bluetooth feature also makes distribution of on-demand educational content to remote locations much more straightforward for content producers.

Announcing the availability of Encore’s new Bluetooth feature, Freeplay Energy’s managing director John McGrath said: “Encore was designed for, and is ideally suited to, extended use in off-grid schools, colleges and homes. And as technology moves on, so does the Encore radio.

“That is why we are delighted to offer a brand-new Bluetooth option for our Encore range.

“The Bluetooth feature is now an option throughout our Encore range of solar-powered and wind-up radios. It means that, after using mobile phones to access and store information, teachers can then play the content back via the Encore’s powerful speaker.

“As a result, students who have no access to mains energy can benefit from global educational resources, as well as broadcasts made outside of school hours. They can therefore make the most of an unprecedented breadth and depth of information, improve their educational attainment and increase their life chances.

“Freeplay Energy’s Bluetooth feature for Encore radios really is a game-changer.”

More than 32 million children of primary school age in Sub-Saharan Africa have no access to schooling. For those lucky enough to attend school, teaching quality is often poor because of a lack of resources and limited teacher training. Freeplay Encore and the new Bluetooth option have been designed to increase access to educational services and to boost the quality of available educational resources.

All Encore radios feature a multiband radio with FM/AM/SW1/SW2 channels, and excellent speaker quality, allowing groups of up to 40 listeners to hear clearly. In addition, the radios feature a solar panel and a failsafe winding mechanism so that they can be used in off-grid settings. Reading lights are included so that teachers and children can study after dark and optional mobile phone chargers can be integrated into each product.

To find out more about Freeplay Energy’s Encore radios, including the brand-new Bluetooth option, please visit www.freeplayenergy.com.

About Freeplay Energy

Freeplay Energy is a leading manufacturer of windup and solar powered products designed to meet the needs of the 1.2 billion people around the world who are currently living off-grid. Its patented technology harnesses human, solar and rechargeable energy and converts it into electricity to power unique portable consumer products, replacing conventional disposable batteries that are environmentally toxic and expensive to replace.

Freeplay Energy's products have been distributed throughout the developed and developing worlds by a range of businesses, charities, NGOs and government and UN agencies.