They may be best known for their Pay TV service, but Austar is also looking to get into the smart metering business.
Leasing a small portion their 2.3Ghz wireless spectrum licence to publicly owned SP AusNet, it's hoped that the deal will help ultimately lower the costs of electricity bills for thousands of rural Victorians.
Smart metering has already gained significant traction in recent months thanks to green initiatives created to improve the way our electricity is used and then billed. Smarter meters are usually considered an ideal way of lowering power bills for consumers.
But in recent days, the Victorian Auditor-General's report has slammed the smart meter proposal, arguing it will push up costs and not reduce them as planned. The report is at loggerheads with the Victorian state government's attempt to roll out the service, calling it 'positive' for the people of rural victoria.
The agreement also marks the first time that a utility company will introduce WiMAX into a significant portion of the population, spanning from East to North Melbourne.
Launched first in June 2001, WiMAX can provide for speeds up to 10 Mbit/s, without the need for expensive fixed cabling.
Utilising the 802.16e mobile WiMAX spectrum (also referred to as 802.16e-2005), it's hoped that electricity consumption will be better tackled in the south eastern state, as Austar searches for further opportunities to negotiate deals with other Australian regions.
The benefits of wireless technology are continuing to catch on in other rural areas of Australia. Just recently, a MIMP Connecting Solutions saved the SA based Alexandrina council more than $20,000 in fixed cabling costs after a $200,000 network running at 200 Mb/s was implemented.
The council covers a vast area of over 1800km and the new wireless system has helped link the council premises of Goolwa and Strathalbyn together, reducing costs considerably.