Below is the official information from at800 that was received this morning giving the current ‘state of play’ regarding the 800mhz 4G rollout.
Freeview and 4G at 800 MHz
Mobile phone operators are now preparing to start rolling out 4G networks across some UK towns and cities to provide super-fast wireless broadband in the coming weeks and months.
at800 is the organisation tasked with ensuring viewers continue to receive Freeview when 4G mobile services at 800 MHz are launched. We are sending postcards to households and businesses telling them about the forthcoming mast activation in:
- Birmingham
- Bradford
- Brighton*
- Coventry
- Edinburgh
- Glasgow and Paisley
- Leeds and Bradford
- Leicester
- Manchester
- Merseyside
- Newbury
- Newcastle upon Tyne
- Nottingham
- Sheffield
- Areas and towns in Surrey, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent
- York*
*Some masts are already active in Brighton and York as part of extended testing
We cannot predict whether Freeview will definitely be disrupted, only that 4G at 800 MHz masts are being activated in certain areas over the coming weeks and months and could disrupt
Freeview. Viewers are being advised that there is a small chance that they may experience some disruption to television reception when masts go live. However, in those few cases, it can be resolved by fitting an individual or communal filter, which will be provided for free by at800.
If you operate in these areas and get reports of problems with Freeview services, it may be due to mast activation. However, do not assume this to be the case. Based on the findings from the recent 4G tests, we are not expecting there to be any significant disruption to Freeview TV services. If an area is not listed above, then 4G at 800 MHz is not able to disrupt television signals.
If you believe 4G at 800 MHz may be the cause, ask the caller to report the problem to us on 0333 31 31 800*. They will be asked for the address and postcode of the property where a problem has been reported, the nature of the problem and the time it occurred. If you are responsible for solving a problem on behalf of a property owner, please call us directly.
Only new 4G services that will roll out at 800 MHz have the potential to cause problems to Freeview reception. If the viewer has not been contacted directly through the post, or they watch cable or satellite TV, any interference to the Freeview service is unlikely to be due to the 4G masts being activated. For more information, visit http://www.at800.tv
