Information for Self Help Providers

The Australian Federal Government has announced which self-help retransmission sites are on the broadcasters’ candidate list for conversion to digital.  This information can be found here.

Broadcast Australia is a transmission services provider and can help local communities to upgrade their existing facilities to receive digital TV.  Contact us for more information.

Advantages of upgrading existing transmission facilities

For communities with more than 500 homes, the most cost effective solution for both broadcasters and viewers, is to upgrade existing analog transmission facilities to digital.

Self help providers can transition through Broadcast Australia's flexible financial payments of either one upfront payment and a minimal ongoing fee or through a ten year agreement.  Broadcast Australia is well placed and equipped to deliver digital TV to all Australians.

Why choose terrestrial transmission over a satellite solution?

Cheaper for consumers:  To receive terrestrial digital TV, each TV in the home needs to be digital ready.  The cost of being digital ready for terrestrial transmission can be less than $50 per television, where the costs for installing satellite receivers exceeds $500 per TV.

Local or regional content:  Local broadcast towers are able to receive content from multiple sources, including the ability to have local language insertions for regional and remote communities.  This allows each transmission area to incorporate local programming at specific times, such as local news at a specific and agreed time.  A satellite feed to a region only allows a single option for programming that is same across the State or Territory.  This unfortunately can mean that a community's local news or information is aired outside prime viewing times.  For some communities who border a State or Territory, they may be receiving their satellite content from a neighbouring State or Territory who are on a different time zone.

The Digital Switchover Timetable

JUN 2010

DEC 2013

www.digitalready.gov.au

Glossary

Self-Help areas  
These are areas where the Federal Government has generally funded the intial capital costs for the terrestrial transmission facility and local council or other local bodies pay for the ongoing costs for the terrestrial transmission facility. These are not broadcaster provided services.
Rain fade  
Satellite systems are susceptible to signal loss during showers and storms because the satellite signal is absorbed by the water.
Terrestrial TV  
These are television signals transmitted from towers and masts in the local area.
Spectrum  
Spectrum is the common term for radio frequency bands.
Channel plan  
This is the assignment of television services to particular radio frequency channels.
Channel restack  
This is necessary to clear the proposed digital dividend spectrum and reassign existing digital television services
STB  
Set-top box