Here’s a new twist on mobile advertising and social networks: Virgin Mobile (NYSE: VM) is launching a Facebook application today that will give customers, who participate in its Sugar Mama advertising program, a new way to earn up to 75 free voice minutes a month. Up until now, the Sugar Mama program gave users free minutes when they watched a commercial and answered a short survey online. But the “Fund My Phone” Facebook application now also earns users minutes when they get their friends to watch ads too. This way, Virgin can expand the audience (of what is probably like-minded individuals) without having to sign up more subscribers to the program. Currently, about 700,000 of Virgin’s five million subscribers have signed up for Sugar Mama.

How it works: A Virgin subscriber adds the Facebook app to their profile page, where friends can see it. The app encourages friends to watch commercials to help them pay for their wireless phone. When friends click on the application, a Sugar Mama ad or other piece of content begins playing for them to view and rate. Advertisers include Xbox, Diet Pepsi, Subway, U.S. Navy, Sony (NYSE: SNE) Pictures and Sony Music. The subscriber then earns six minutes of airtime as soon as the first four “views” by Facebook friends are credited. After the initial viewings, the customer receives one minute of airtime for every four views by their Facebook friends. I can imagine if a girl really wants to talk to a boy and he’s out of minutes, this would be a small price to pay. If it’s any indication, Virgin has given away 26 million minutes of free airtime since Sugar Mama was launched in 2006.

Virgin Mobile tannounced the launch of its new mobile TV service, Virgin Mobile TV, and confirmed the that it will be offering a selection of much-loved premium channels and programming to Virgin Mobile TV viewers, starting on October 1st 2006.

Virgin Mobile TV will broadcast BBC One, ITV1, Channel 4 and E4, offering consumers a wide range of high-profile channels and TV programmes. Customers who have a Virgin Mobile �Tellyphone’ will be able to watch their favourite TV programmes and listen to DAB digital radio wherever they are. Wherever you need to watch TV, whether it’s Eastenders on the bus, or Coronation Street in a cab, Virgin Mobile TV will make sure you never have to miss an episode of your favourite programme again.

The service, which is provided by BT’s wholesale mobile broadcast entertainment service, BT Movio, will also broadcast DAB digital radio, offer �red-button’ interactivity and features an exclusive seven-day electronic programme guide (EPG).

Virgin Mobile TV can be viewed on the Virgin Mobile Lobster 700 Mobile TV phone, which will be available from October 1st through Virgin Mobile Stores within Virgin Megastores and WHSmiths, its standalone stores, and direct from virginmobile.com/mobile. Virgin Mobile offers the mobile TV phone and service for free for customers on a contract of ВЈ25 a month or more, for the life of their contract. The phone is available on pre-pay for ВЈ199, when the service will be free for an initial three-month period, followed by a charge of ВЈ5 a month. BBC One will be available on a trial basis for 12 months and will be provided free to consumers. Customers who buy a contract in Virgin Mobile Stores also benefit from double the amount of airtime compared to standard tariffs available in other retailers.

The new Virgin Mobile TV device will be supported with a multi-million pound advertising campaign, starring the world-famous actress Pamela Anderson. The ads will be seen on British TV for the first time on October 9th.

Virgin Mobile’s TV service broadcasts TV live** �as it happens’ over the DAB digital frequency spectrum, which currently covers more than 85% of the UK population. The Lobster 700 Mobile TV phone is the world’s first DAB-IP-enabled handset, and was created by HTC. As well as offering TV and up to 50 DAB digital radio stations, the handset is also Virgin Mobile’s first Windows-operated smartphone, offering Windows Mobile functionality and Windows Media Player. The device is the first in a series of mobile phones being developed to support the BT Movio service.

Alan Gow, managing director of Virgin Mobile, said: “The launch of Virgin Mobile’s вЂ?Tellyphone’ is a real watershed, both in terms of mobile devices and the evolution of broadcasting. Virgin Mobile finally delivers what others have been promising for so long – real TV broadcast to your mobile, delivering the programmes you want to watch, when you want to watch them, in a simple and easy-to-use experience. We are hugely proud of the Virgin Mobile TV service and I think it could revolutionise how, when and where people choose to watch TV.”

Emma Lloyd, managing director, BT Movio, said: “BT Movio looks forward to working with Virgin Mobile as our first customer. We fully anticipate that their well-known marketing flare will attract many UK consumers to the service, which will offer the strongest TV and digital radio content for mobile phones yet to be seen in the UK.”

Mobile virtual network operator Virgin Mobile, this week added South Africa to its footprint, through a 50:50 partnership with Cell C, owned by UAE operator Oger Telecom.

Virgin Mobile South Africa will piggyback on Cell C’s GSM network and provide voice and data services as well as per second billing.

Virgin will compete against market leader Vodacom and MTN as well as Cell C.

Virgin Mobile already has MVNO operations in the UK, US, Australia, Canada and France.