Eight out of 10 households in regional Victoria converted to digital television last year, the minister for Communications said today.This news comes ahead of the official switch over which is due to happen on 5 May and is the largest transfer to date, with just under half a million going digital. 

According to the Digital Tracker, in Q4 81 per cent of households in regional Victoria had converted to digital TV, almost double the 2009 figure.

“As the third region in Australia to switch… [Victorians are] by far the largest to date with approximately 450,000 households part of the switchover,” Senator Conroy said.

Across Australia, 77 per cent of households had converted to digital TV during the quarter.

However, Sydney has the lowest take up in the entire country, trailing at just 66 per cent. Melbourne (79%) and Brisbane (78%) as are the other major cities Perth and Adelaide who all have uptake beyond 80 per cent.

“Australia’s switchover to digital TV is extending well beyond the major population centres into some of the most remote parts of the country,” the minister said, although he failed to refer to why the NSW capital had lower uptake than rival states. 

“Broadcasters have rolled out new digital TV transmitters in several locations across regional Victoria to improve the reliability of local digital TV reception, meaning that more households will be able to receive terrestrial digital TV,” Senator Conroy said.

Free to air digital channels is being extended further by the government-funded VAST satellite service which is broadcasting  into households in remote areas and reception blackspots.