Foundation welcomes announcement of new satellite services
January 11, 2010The Rural Health Education Foundation has welcomed the announcement of a new satellite service to provide digital television to viewers in regional blackspot areas. This was announced on 5 January 2010 by the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator the Hon Stephen Conroy.
In making the announcement, the Minister said that “For the first time all free-to-air digital television services, including the original three commercial and two national channels, as well as new digital services such as ABC2, ABC3, SBS TWO, GO!, 7TWO and ONE HD, will be available to all Australians, no matter where they live.” He further stated that “The satellite service will provide regional viewers with access to the local news currently broadcast in their TV licence area via a dedicated local news channel.”
Commenting on the Minister’s announcement, Don Perlgut, CEO of the Rural Health Education Foundation said: “The Rural Health Education Foundation welcomes the Government’s commitment to supplying a comprehensive digital satellite television solution to rural and remote Australia. Rural Australians - including those on the fringes of country towns who will not be served by terrestrial digital TV services - have the same right to ‘free to air’ broadcast television as all other Australians.”
“Since 1992, the Rural Health Education Foundation has developed a network of more than 660 satellite sites throughout rural and remote Australia, all of them serving health and medical professionals, and located in hospitals, clinics, educational institutions, Indigenous health services and other organisations,” Mr Perlgut said. “Using the Optus Aurora platform, the Foundation is an active user of satellite television services and understands the telecommunications challenges which rural and remote Australians face.”
The Foundation will be undertaking discussions with the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy to make certain that the rural and remote health professionals in particular are able to make proper use of the new digital services.
For further information:
- contact Don Perlgut on ceo@rhef.com.au
- The Minister’s release can be viewed at http://www.minister.dbcde.gov.au/media/media_releases/2010/001
- The Foundation’s national satellite network locations can be seen at http://www.rhef.com.au/viewing-sites/