The Government of Tasmania has come together with Hybrid Television Services, a TiVo licensee, to help spread more awareness about the benefits of National Broadband Network across the Austrian island state, under the Hybrid SmartStreet Project. Currently the parties are looking for voluntary participants who would be a part of the study and awareness program.

The voluntary participants of the project must be residents of an existing fiber-connected home on the TasCOLT network, serviced by the TasTel Community Telco, and they will receive a TiVo media unit, which will allow them to access broadband movies and television services for a total of 12 months.

As per Hybrid TV's plans, SmartStreet will be able to effectively demonstrate how valuable converged digital broadcasting, which happens through the internet, is, and data collected from the study will help people across not only Tasmania, but all of Australia, to better understand the behavior and benefits of broadcast TV.

With the project the firm and the Government of Tasmania are looking to spread increased awareness about the $43 Billion NBN. A recent survey conducted by Compare Broadband, an analyst group, discovered that as many as 96% of the 577 voters involved shared that the Federal Government has not been able to inform Australians about the NBN and how it is beneficial, and needs to rev up its efforts.