Australia's television networks have finally caved to public pressure, agreeing to offer a completely free and unencrypted electronic program guide to all viewers as of January 1, 2008.

WIN Television has started providing its 7 day EPG. Prime and NBN will commence on Monday 19 November and Southern Cross on 26 November.

Each network will be providing up to seven  days program data which is expected to be receivable free of charge by any digital set top box, integrated television or personal video recorder (PVR) that has an EPG functionality.

The annoucement comes only months after Australia's free to air networks declared they would only offer an encrypted EPG, forcing Australians to buy new digital television equipment in order to access the service.

Announced before IceTV won its David and Goliath battle with the Nine Network over copyright issues, the original free to air EPG was only to be available to service providers "provided the equipment displaying the EPG complies with some base level requirements designed to protect copyright, protect the integrity of the program information and facilitate collection of ratings information".

At the time Free TV Australia's Julie Flynn was light on technical details, but she confirmed Free TV Australia had begun negotiations with hardware manufacturers on how their equipment could meet the requirements laid down by the television networks. It also gave the networks the ability to lock out devices compatible with IceTV.

Today Ms Flynn says although Free TV networks agree to transmit the data free and unencrypted, broadcasters "reserved all their rights with respect to copyright and protection of intellectual property".

Free TV Australia's back flip comes as Australia's networks finally embrace high definition multi-channelling. CONTINUED