Austria subsidises HD cable receivers

The majority (58%) of households in Austria have already converted from analogue to digital TV. However, this is mainly because 46% receive television via satellite, for which 92% of households are digital, and 7% receive TV via a terrestrial antenna, with 70% being digital in this case. For cable, with 43% of Austrian households having the service, only around 16% are digital.

For this reason, the Austrian Regulatory Authority for Broadcasting and Telecommunications (Rundfunk und Telekom Regulierungs, RTR) has set up a €2 million fund to subsidise the purchase of cable TV receivers. The subsidy is in the form of a €40 voucher which householders can use to purchase an HDTV-capable cable receiver either from their cable operator, or through retail.

The promotion runs from 1 September 2009 to 28 February 2010.