Free internet for participants in broadcast television capture scheme!

Do you want free 100/20 internet?

Do you have a TV antenna outlet near your NBN Co box or internet router?

Do you have access to Fibre-to-the-Premises internet service?

Do you have the basic technical skills to connect a router and some computer hardware?

If the answer to these questions is yes, then please read on.

MediaConnect (or Influencing) is an Australian media monitoring firm with a 25 year history as technology specialists, and we have been contracted to build a broadcast television capture network covering the whole of Australia, including regional versions of all television stations.

To do this, we need to place television streaming hardware in Australian homes, which will capture and stream specific television stations back to our servers (for example, we will seek a hardware host in Mildura to get Nine Mildura, we want someone in Launceston to get access to Southern Cross Launceston, we want someone in Bundaberg to get Ten Wide Bay, etc).

In order to incentivise participation in this scheme, we are working with a leading Australian ISP to offer participants a fully-paid, personal 100/20mbps internet service, for which we will cover all costs (making the payments ourselves) and provide the requisite router free of charge.

This will be paired with a second internet service on the same NTD, which is used exclusively for television capture purposes (see diagram below). All hardware for this second connection will be provided and paid for by our company.



Note that we will have no access to the homeowner’s side of the network, and that the homeowner will have no access to our capture hardware/network.

There is also no element of behaviour, internet or television habit monitoring to this scheme. We will have no knowledge of the programs you choose to watch, or what is happening on your internet connection.

The hardware in the home of participants will exclusively be used to stream terrestrial television transmissions back to our servers for storage and commercial use.

The completely separate nature of the networks also means that our streams will not affect your internet performance, and vice versa.

Finally, please note that the most appropriate participants for this scheme will have their NBN Box and a television antenna outlet in close proximity to one another, and have enough technical understanding to install and assist with basic troubleshooting if required (are the lights on, is it plugged in, is the internet light illuminated, can you connect to the network, etc).

As we are building this network right now, the offer will not last forever. If you are interested, and reside in or near one of the locations listed below, please get in touch here by direct message ASAP, or via email to aimee@influencing.com.

We are also happy to answer any questions in this thread as well.

If there happens to be a high volume of responses and we cannot accommodate all applicants, we do apologise in advance for any disappointment as well.

**UPDATED LIST**
Wagga Wagga, NSW
Mackay, QLD
Townsville, QLD
Ballarat, VIC

 

Can we get discounted 1000/50 instead. 100mb is too slow

 

Hi Kogi,

Unfortunately when taking out a 1,000mbps service, we actually cannot add any additional services on the same NBN Box, so its impossible for us to offer internet speeds quite so high. If you are happy for me to message you directly and let us know what speed you are getting now, we might be able find an approach that meets your needs?

 

So it's possible for a 250mb service? Cost?

 

Hi Kogi,
This is something we have been asked elsewhere, we are just waiting on confirmation from our partnered provider. I will get back to you shortly, thank you for your patience.
Aimee

 

How long does this run for? If I was to set up a relative with this system and cancel their current service, you're not going to just end the program randomly and leave them with no connection, correct?

 

Hi Sammy,
Thanks for reaching out, at this stage we are locked in for 3 years however there is possibility for extension. If for some reason we do have to cancel the program everyone would be notified with plenty of time to make other arrangements. Please don't cancel any services until we direct too (we will get the new one up and running before hand), to avoid your relative being without a service. May I ask which location you are interested in please? Feel free to send me a message if you would like to discuss this further.
Thank you,
Aimee

 

For sure. I'd just be interested. I've got a parent in Hobart, but I'd need to know that the device from ABB would be preconfigured to just plug and play for their side of things, and also check to see the distance between an aerial outlet and NTD first.

 

Hi Sammy,
I just sent you a message to confirm a detail quickly
The distance for the aerial ideally would be 1-2 metres to avoid running cords, which may be a trip hazard.

 

I wanted to check if the FTA stations have signed up to this. There was some news in the USA where companies where doing this and they got sued.
I've got spare fftp ports but wanted to make sure before I thru my hat in the ring.

 

if you need Kalgoorlie WA hit me up

 

I would consider equipment inside my network (since I could create a seperate subnet anyway) if you’d subsidise a proportion of a 1000/400 connection. Not ideal when you have to contend with other user traffic, but unlikely to be an issue.

 

I could be interested in the Newcastle spot.

I'm technically in lake Macquarie but get all the newcastle channels.

 

I'm in Cairns (Clifton Beach to be precise)
Haven't had an antenna cable connected to my telly in over a decade, but there's an antenna cable in the ceiling just above my comms rack that wouldn't take more than a few minutes to cable in.
I already have an existing 100/20 Aussie Broadband service on FTTP - so you could simply take over the payments on my existing service if you wish?

 

So it's FTTP only, not HFC?

 

Hi Bucket23,
We have been in the media monitoring industry for 25 years working with online, print and broadcast content, while there are other companies in this space in Australia as well such as iSentia. It is perfectly legal to record and utilise broadcast content, as long as it is done pursuant to the relevant copyright regulations and licencing standards.
Thank you for sharing your concerns. What location are you interested in please?
Thank you,
Aimee

 

needs two UNI-D ports, FTTP is the only access technology that could support it.

 

I can't assist due to not having FTTP, but am curious as to what the purpose of the setup is? Is it to archive footage for future reference/history?

I'd love to help if I could for such purposes, but we're stuck on HFC. Can get gigabit so we have the bandwidth and stability, but not multi ports/connections like FTTP has.

 

fixed wireless NBN usable? Toowoomba and already with ABB here