[Satellite TODAY 01-06-10] The Australian government announced Jan. 5 an initiative to bring digital TV services via satellite to remote parts of the country.
    Following a series of negotiations with regional broadcasters and satellite service providers, the Australian government will commit an estimated $36.3 million per year for four years to build and operate the service, which aims to connect 247,000 households to digital services. The government also will provide funding to build a new digital satellite broadcasting service for regional viewers who are unable to receive digital television from those facilities,
    Australian broadcasters have agreed to upgrade more than 100 existing regional analog self-help transmission facilities to operate in digital.
    “All regional Australians will now receive the same television services as people in the cities. This is a fantastic outcome for people in regional Australia, many of whom have received limited television services for many years,” Stephen Conroy, Australian minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, said in a statement.