Australia To Deliver Better Free To Air TV For Regional Queensland
The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, said the Government was committed to delivering improved free-to-air television services for people living in regional Queensland as part of the digital switchover.
“The digital switchover late this year will offer regional Queenslanders access to the same number of free to air channels as are available in the capital cities.” Senator Conroy said.
Households in regional and remote areas which relied on community-operated ‘self help’ analog TV services have the opportunity to significantly improve their access to free-to-air digital TV through the switchover.
“Many communities have had very limited TV services for years, including those provided by community or local council-operated transmitters. These communities will have the opportunity, if they choose to do so, to move to the government-funded Viewer Access Satellite Television (VAST) service which will provide 16 free to air channels in standard and high definition, plus a local news channel,” Senator Conroy said.
VAST includes all of the ABC and SBS digital channels such as ABC2, ABC3, ABC News 24, and SBS TWO, as well as channels from all of the commercial networks, including the digital-only channels such as GO!, Gem, 7TWO, 7mate, ONE HD, and Eleven.
A subsidy of between $400 and $700 will be available to help regional Queensland households convert to the VAST service where their local analog ‘self help’ transmitter was not upgraded.
The subsidy package will include a high definition satellite set top box, dish and cabling for each eligible household.
The contribution from householders is still to be finalised, but in the regional South Australian and regional Victorian switchover zones it was $200 per household.
“I am committed to working with local communities on the switchover to digital television,” Senator Conroy said.
“In response to concerns from some local councils that they need more time to consider whether to convert their services to digital, or to enable their viewers to access the Government’s Satellite Subsidy Scheme to convert to VAST, the Digital Switchover Taskforce will keep open the satellite scheme application process for another month while these concerns are addressed,” said Senator Conroy.
The Digital Switchover Taskforce will be arranging to provide further demonstrations of the VAST service for local communities in the coming month so people can see how the service works and what it offers for free to air TV viewing.
“Whether by terrestrial broadcast or by satellite, the Government is committed to ensuring that regional Queenslanders enjoy all the benefits of Australia’s switchover to digital TV.”
Topics: 2010, 2011, ACMA, Australia, Australian Communications and Media Authority, broadband, business, channels, commercial, communications, Competition and Consumer Safeguards, digital economy, digital switchover, Digital Television, digital TV, fibre optic, free to air, Governance, government, Household Assistance Scheme, households, internet, moniter, monitor, National Broadband Network, NBN, news, online, Queensland, rural, satellite, Senator Stephen Conroy, switchover, technology, VAST, Victroria
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