Grey nomads, awake. There’s bound to be something on the telly – as many as 16 digital channels – even if you’re in the middle of the Simpson Desert or stranded on the Gunbarrel Highway.
That’s the news from Comms and Broadband Minister Stephen Conroy who yesterday urged people who travel around regional and remote Australia to sign up for digital TV through the Viewer Access Satellite Television (VAST) service.
Noting Australia has more than 50,000 campervan and motor home owners cruising the country, Conroy – speaking from the VAST processing centre in Townsville – said: “Until recently, the only TV someone could watch after a long day’s driving or sightseeing was the limited choice available on analog television – sometimes fewer than four channels.
“Through VAST, people travelling across regional and remote Australia can now access up to 16 digital channels – the same as in the capital cities.”
To help caravanners tune their satellite dishes into the VAST signal, a new smartphone application is being developed to do it for them using the phone’s GPS .
