The vast majority of Australians receive their television services from the network of broadcaster-owned transmission towers and they will continue to do so after the switch to digital. However, for those who live outside the coverage of this terrestrial network, a new satellite television service is needed to ensure that they are able to enjoy the same benefits of digital television as other Australians.

Digital television Australia-wide
The Rudd Government will implement a satellite service to provide digital television to viewers in regional blackspot areas.

"All regional Australians will now receive the same television services as people in the cities," said the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy.

"This is a fantastic outcome for people in regional Australia, many of whom have received limited television services for many years."

"This historic decision will dramatically improve the choice and quality of television services for regional Australia as we move towards digital switchover."

"For the first time all free-to-air digital television services, including the original three commercial and two national channels, as well as new digital services such as ABC2, ABC3, SBS TWO, GO!, 7TWO and ONE HD, will be available to all Australians, no matter where they live."

Satellite Subsidy Scheme
The Australian Government will provide a subsidy to eligible households that
currently rely on analog self-help retransmission towers that are not converted to
digital.
What is a self-help retransmission tower?
Self-help towers have been set up, generally by local councils or community groups,
in areas where broadcasters have not established transmission towers, or where the
coverage from the broadcaster-owned transmitter serving the area is not adequate.
Self-help towers operate in metropolitan, regional and remote areas across Australia.
Although a number of self-help towers will be converted to digital by the broadcasters
in the lead-up to digital switchover, approximately 570 towers will remain
unconverted. Most of these provide services to small populations in remote and
regional areas.
How can I access digital TV when the analog signal is switched off?
Households that currently rely on analog self-help towers which are not being
converted to digital by the broadcasters will need to access the new VAST satellite
service to receive digital television.
To access the VAST service, households will need to install satellite reception
equipment, including a VAST set top box with an access smart card. To assist
communities currently relying on analog self-help towers not being converted, the
Australian Government will provide a subsidy to eligible households.
How much is the subsidy?
The subsidy will be a minimum of $400 per household, with higher amounts of $550
for households in defined very remote areas and $700 for households in defined far
north tropical areas. The two higher levels of subsidy are in recognition of the extra
travel costs to install satellite television reception equipment and the additional dish
size required in tropical areas and some other remote areas.
In addition to these amounts, households in defined remote indigenous communities
may be eligible for additional $280 worth of assistance, recognising the remoteness
and unique circumstances of households in these areas.
Will I have to pay anything?
Over and above the subsidy, most households will be responsible for meeting some of
the costs of the installation. This is consistent with the fact that most Australians will
incur some cost to convert to digital, such as the purchase of a set top box or in some
cases an antenna upgrade.
How can I apply?
Regional households will be able to apply for the subsidy during the switchover
period in their region.
Applications for households in regional South Australia will open in July 2010 and
will close on 31 October 2010. Analog services in regional South Australia will
switch off on 15 December 2010.
Further information
Further information about eligibility criteria and how to apply will be available on this
website in June 2010. Eligible households in the Spencer Gulf area will be contacted
by letter in early July.
The subsidy opening dates for households in remote switchover areas will be
published in July 2010.
"The satellite service will provide regional viewers with access to the local news currently broadcast in their TV licence area via a dedicated local news channel."

While the final cost of the digital satellite broadcasting service will be determined following negotiations between broadcasters and satellite service providers, the Government is committing $40 million per year over the four-year forward estimates to build and operate the service, for the potential benefit of up to 247,000 households across Australia. This is an ongoing Government commitment.

Under an agreement reached with all television broadcasters across Australia, broadcasters will upgrade more than 100 existing regional analog ‘self-help’ transmission facilities to operate in digital, while the Government will fully fund and build a new digital satellite broadcasting service for regional viewers who are unable to receive digital television from those facilities.

The measures are part of Australia’s ongoing switchover to digital-only television and will be in place before analog services are switched off in each regional broadcast license area.

Viewers who currently rely on ‘self-help’ sites that will be upgraded by broadcasters under this agreement will simply need to install a high definition set-top-box to access a full suite of digital television channels.

Any regional households not able to receive digital television from the upgraded ‘self-help’ sites will be served by the new satellite, which will also carry the full suite of digital channels. In order to access the new satellite service, these households will need to install a satellite dish.

"The Government will provide a satellite conversion subsidy to eligible households currently served by ‘self-help’ transmission sites which are not upgraded to digital by the broadcasters," Senator Conroy said.

"This landmark agreement would not be possible without the cooperation of Australia’s free-to-air broadcasters and I would like to acknowledge their constructive approach to digital switchover."

Senator Conroy said that the Government will be writing to ‘self-help’ transmission licensees detailing the new measures as well as providing further information to local communities.

The Government is currently consulting with broadcasters to identify the list of ‘self-help’ sites to be upgraded to digital for announcement in the first half of 2010.

The list will include new digital terrestrial transmitters at Underbool and Ouyen in the Sunraysia/Mildura region, the first license area to switch to digital-only television. The satellite service for the Sunraysia/Mildura region is expected to commence prior to 30 June 2010, when analog television services are due to be switched off in that licence area.

More information:
Online: www.digitalready.gov.au
Freephone: 1800 20 10 13

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