4G to interfere with TV reception in over 2 million homes

Ofcom has estimated that the signal and reception of up to 2.3 million homes in the UK are going to be affected by the roll-out of 4G this year.

Freeview users – who make up only 40% of potentially affected users – will be offered filters to overcome the interference. Satellite receivers are not expected to be affected at all.

4G is the fourth generation of mobile phone communications and at the moment is only offered by operator EE. Other operators are currently bidding for licences in an auction run by Ofcom and up to £180 million of this will be used as funding towards the filters.

In an attempt to solve the anticipated problems, a non-profit organisation called Digital Mobile Spectrum Limited (DMSL) has been created. The chief executive for DMSL, Simon Beresford-Wiley, has stated that the aim of DMSL is to make sure that everybody continues to receive their current TV service, saying that “DMSL plans to pre-empt the majority of potential interference issues caused by 4G at 800 MHz and existing TV services.”

It is thought that less than 1,000 of those to be affected by 4G will lose TV services completely.