Sydney-siders will be able to get real-time traffic updates through their satellite navigation systems, with the roll-out of the Suna Traffic Channel service scheduled for mid-2008.

Satellite navigation systems can provide the ‘quickest’ and ‘shortest’ route to a destination, but until recently have not been able to take traffic conditions into consideration when calculating the best route for drivers.

The Suna Traffic Channel service which launched in Melbourne last year claims to fill this gap, providing instant traffic updates to compatible satellite navigation systems for a subscription fee.

Intelematics Australia, the company behind Suna, has announced it will soon begin trialling the service in Sydney, and is aiming to roll out the service for the CBD in ‘the next few months’.

The company says the announcement is timely considering the 10km traffic back up resulting from an accident on the F3 yesterday.

“Suna will be much welcomed by Sydney motorists looking to avoid lengthy road delays and other incidents,” says Intelematics CEO Adam Game.

According to the company, Suna works by identifying traffic congestion levels using data derived from traffic light control systems. It supplements this sensor-based data with information from probe vehicles deployed in known congested areas as well as live observation of road conditions by trained experts.

The combined information is then broadcast in an encoded digital format via the FM frequency directly to motorists’ navigation devices.