Brighton Next Location For at800 4G Freeview Tests

Brighton has been chosen as the latest host for a trial to see what extent 4G services operating on the 800MHz spectrum will affect Freeview TV reception when LTE services using the bandwidth are launched later this year.

The tests will be conducted by at800, the joint-venture established by winners of 800MHz bandwidth in the recent Ofcom 4G spectrum auction, including O2, Vodafone, Three and EE and will start at the beginning of May.

Up to 80,000 households could be affected by the trial, with at800 explaining Brighton had been chosen because Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) signals in the area are transmitted on frequencies especially close to 800MHz.

Brighton 4G Freeview

DTT currently operates on the 700MHz spectrum, which could make it susceptible to interference when 4G services on the adjacent 800MHz airwaves go live later this year. EE, the UK’s only current 4G operator, uses 1800MHz bandwidth for its network, which does not impact DTT.

“The hilly terrain in Brighton – which can affect TV signals – coupled with Freeview being transmitted on frequencies very close to 4G at 800 MHz will make this a very useful trial,” said Simon Beresford-Wylie, chief executive of at800. “We urge viewers in Brighton to call us should they see any new problems with their Freeview reception.”

Of the affected households, 2,424 will be sent a filter that connects between the existing aerial cable and the television or Freeview set-top box. At800 says most people will be able to fit the filter themselves, but this latest trial is the first time that at800 will provide specific support to the elderly or those with a disability.

Landlords or property managers of buildings with communal aerial systems where the antenna or aerial is not residents’ responsibility will be sent a communal filter on request, while anyone who has not been notified by post is unlikely to be affected.

It has been suggested that up to 2.3 million households could suffer Freeview interference, although the first round of tests in the West Midlands resulted in only 15 reported cases of disruption out of 22,000 households.

All issues were in TV systems with signal amplifiers and were either in communal blocks or domestic installations where an amplifier was attached to the aerial and were solved by the installation of a filter.

Earlier this month, at800 announced plans for larger scale tests in Southeast London which cover 170,000 households in Greenwich, Lewisham, Southwark and Tower Hamlets, while 28,000 households in West London have been sent filters for tests which started on Monday.

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