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The Australian government has put on hold the auction of new digital television licences, which were intended for providing new channels and mobile DVB-H television, according to a report in Melbourne's Age newspaper.

Known as channels A and B, one channel was going to be allocated to so-called datacasting and community television, with possible broadcasters including the indiginous broadcaster NITV, and the other was earmarked as a pay-TV service for mobile phones.

The new government plans for a technical and policy review before committing to an auction of the spectrum.

The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting that it is unlikely that Australia's commercial television operators will launch any new digital standard-definition multichannels as soon as they are legally allowed to do so. From January 1st, 2009, the previous government's restrictions on such channels will lapse. All three major commercial networks are currently allowed to broadcast separate programming streams on their high-definition channels, but in currently tend to limit multichannelling to afternoons and late evenings.