More than 60% of Australian households, or five million homes, have made the switch to digital TV, a growth of 14% during 2009, according to the latest Digital Tracker survey.
The survey, conducted quarterly by the Federal Government’s Digital Switchover Taskforce, revealed the number of homes able to receive free-to-air digital TV jumped five percentage points from October to December last year. Take-up was high in the regional Victorian town of Mildura Sunraysia, which will be the first region in Australia to go digital-only on June 30, with 79% of households converting to digital TV by the end of last year.
Meanwhile the survey also showed that 78% of Australian households know how to convert to digital.
Robin Parkes, CEO of Freeview, attributes the “enthusiastic uptake” to the number and variety of digital channels and the marketing push and communications efforts of Freeview, the Digital Switchover Taskforce and the free-to-air broadcasters.
“The latest Digital Tracker figures clearly demonstrate that Australians are embracing the benefits of switching to digital TV,” she said.
Consumers are currently able to access 16 free digital channels, and Parkes said Freeview and the networks have plans to launch a number of initiatives, including new digital channels, in 2010.
Minister for broadband, communications and the digital economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, said: “Digital switchover is important and it will also free-up spectrum which can be used for the delivery of new and improved broadcasting and communication services, such as high-speed broadband.”
Regional South Australia and Broken Hill will follow Mildura Sunraysia in switching to digital-only in the second half of the year, with all of Australia to be digital-only by 2013.
