Yesterday, the SUNA traffic channel officially went live in Sydney and Brisbane, joining Melbourne to offer real-time traffic updates for the East Coast capital cities (sorry Canberra, you're still to come).

But how do you get it? Thankfully, getting traffic updates isn't as tricky a process as you would think, even if you already own a satnav device...

If you don't already own a satnav, the easiest way to get traffic updates is to buy a device that's ready to go out of the box. Pretty much all of the leading satnav manufacturers are offering traffic-enabled devices, as well as traffic bundles - TomTom for example are offering their standard One unit with a bundled TMC receiver for an extra $100.

If you do already own a satnav, the good news is that you don't have to buy a new unit. All you need to do is buy a TMC receiver add-on (for about $150), which plugs into the device with a cable you run along the windscreen. Then, you need to update your satnav to the latest version of maps available - for most devices this will be WhereIs v.15. There will be a cost involved here, although some manufacturers offer a free upgrade if you purchased your device within a certain time frame.

Once that's done, you're good to go. There aren't any ongoing fees to get your traffic updates - the subscription lasts as long as the device does, although if you want traffic for Perth and Adelaide (when they go live probably next year), you'll need to update your maps again.

Tags: au | brisbane | gps | maps | navigation | portable | satnavs | suna | sydney | tmc | traffic | whereis