Two Sussex firms have joined forces to make radio waves across the Atlantic.
Petworth-based JB Design and Goring-based Product Develop-ment Centre have been contracted to work on an internet radio for US company, Penguin Radio.
The Washington DC-based firm commissioned JB Design after being impressed by their work on the world's first MP3 in-car radio last year.
The Product Development Centre has been brought on board to develop the radio's electronics and software.
John Bull, JB Design managing director, said: "Penguin Radio has said that one day all radios will work using internet technology and this may well be no exaggeration. The appliance could do for radio what the world wide web did for information exchange."
Internet radio plugs into a stereo and uses a modem to provide access to more than 12,000 US radio stations and thousands more from around the world.
The stand-alone appliance does not need to be connected to a PC to deliver the streaming media directly from the Penguin Radio web site to the home hi-fi.
The product has been targeted at the US market where call charges for local internet use are considerably lower than the UK.
Michael Dove, JB Design business development manager, said: "People move all over the States for work, this radio will allow them to listen to familiar home channels and catch up with specialist stations not available in their area.
"In the UK, internet use is becoming more affordable and people will soon be able to add this sort of appliance to their hi-fi units without running up huge bills."
Keith Cheshire, Product Development Centre general manager, said: "It's great to know that we in the UK are seen as having the equivalent technology as American firms.
"We have been using our expertise gained over many years working with a large client base to make sure our contribution meets the specifications needed for this revolutionary internet radio."
The companies have had no difficulty with keeping in touch despite the geographical and time divides involved.
Michael said: "Penguin Radio representatives came over to visit us initially but now all design information and progress updates have been shared by email."
Penguin Radio has a planned release date of June 2001 to the US market with a retail price of £150.
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