What to do if your Freeview is Affected by 4G Signals
As 4G is becoming more and more popular and rolling out across the UK, several homes near these new masts may experience issues with their Freeview services whish is as annoying as it is useful to our mobile signals. You are more likely to be affected if you live close to one of the new 4G masts, are in an area with weak digital television signal in general or have a TV signal booster. Issues can range from pixelated images, distorted sound and even no signal at all, not great when our TV's are expensive to purchase in the first place. One of the upcoming frequencies for 4G is what will be causing the issues with your service which is 800MHz. This frequency was once used by Freeview and some aerials still pick up this frequency which causes the issue and a catch 22 situation - this frequency shouldn't exit now adays, but many of us are still experiencing difficulties.
It’s estimated that up to 100,000 homes if not more could be affected by 4G operating at the 800MHz frequency. Some companies will be sending out letters or postcards informing you as to when the masts will be turned on and if and how you could be affected. A new company called at800 has been setup by the mobile phone companies to provide filters and other assistance including advice to households where TV reception is affected. They have even setup a small interactive guide on their site to determine if your Freeview signal is affected by 4G. You can also check unfree.tv to see where these new 800MHz masts are going to be put up and the degree in which they can affect you.
In some cases you will be sent a free plug-in filter for your Freeview Digibox that will stop the interference caused by the 4G frequencies. If you’re not lucky enough to receive one for free, many shops like Wilkinsons or any home based shop do sell them at reasonable prices. They are easy to install but if youy wish to contact an expert then why not visit JNB Aerials for example; there are many companies like this available that can help to advise you, reinstall your TV aerial or offer their expert knowledge. This arena can be complicated at the best of times, so having the help on hand can be massivly beneficial.
Satellite and Cable users will not be affected by the frequency, only Freeview users are but it is suspected that fewer than 1% of households with Freeview as their primary TV source will experience disruption to Freeview from 4G at 800 MHz frequencies. However the roll out has only just begun, so the predicted issues may well increase over the next few months. There are many companies out there that are available to help with any concerns you may have about your home freeview signal. The phone companies are the best place to start, they will be able to tell you if there is mast disruption in your area and how log the disruption will last. 02 for example have a live signal checker on their website and all you have to do is enter your postcode to find out if any disruption is happening in your area.
