4G Mobile Service – Major TV interference in Oxford

Now that the switch to digital TV is complete, the government have decided to use some of the spare frequency spectrum for ‘fourth Generation’ (4G) mobile services. This will give users of smart phones much faster mobile broadband. However, the frequencies that are going to be used are directly adjacent to current freeview TV signals and there will be lots of interference to TV channels!
The auction for the available frequencies will probably be complete by February 2013 and the first roll-out of 4G is planned for later in 2013. Initially it will cover Britain’s major cities. (Rural areas are unlikely to benefit for a while.)

How bad will the interference be?

We do not know what the scale of the problem will be. The power of the new signals will be much greater than we have seen before and in Oxford particularly the frequency channels being used (including channel 61) is right next to the Oxford ITV frequency (Channel 60). The effect will vary depending on how close your house is to a 4G transmitter. We don’t know yet where they will all be.

What will the Government do to help?

The Government have set up company called MitCo to deal with these issues. They will initially supply a simple in-line filter to any consumer who complains of interference. This will solve a proportion of the problems. But there are situations where this will not work. For example, the filter will need to be fitted in front of any amplifier on the aerial system and if you have an amplifier it may be in your loft or even on the roof! Then the filter will need to be installed by a professional installer. Mitco may issue a voucher to cover the cost of this but that has not yet been confirmed. If a filter doesn’t work, there will be a fund of government money to move some viewers over to Freesat. There is also a fund to assist the aged and vulnerable.

What about all of my bedroom TV's?

All of the government help will only apply to your main TV point. If you have additional TVs in the house, and most people now do, then you will have to get the others sorted out privately. OXFORD AERIALS will have a supply of filters to fit to your other TVs. If the filter doesn’t work on your main TV, then it looks as though Mitco will subsidise a switch to Freesat, but not so on your other TVs.
OXFORD AERIALS will have a stock of new aerials which are designed to NOT pick up the 4G signals. We will also have higher quality ‘super filters’ and screened sockets and leads where the problem is particularly bad. We hope we can always get a solution for you.

What about blocks of flats?

TV systems in blocks of flats will perhaps have the worst interference. These systems usually have a very large amplifier at the head of the system. These amplifiers can amplify TV signals by up to 1000 times before it is distributed around the block of flats. Signals will need to be properly filtered using professional grade filters before entering these powerful amplifiers.

4G is already advertised. Has it not started already?

The interfering signals won’t start until well into 2013. There is confusion because one company, ‘Everything Everywhere’ (EE), who own Orange and T–Mobile, have started advertising 4G services. EE have only been granted the use of the old 2G frequencies around 1800 MHz for a version of 4G. This will not cause problems with terrestrial digital freeview television.

The Digital Switchover (DSO) is now complete for the South East of England with Crystal Palace being the final transmitter to be switched in this region.
Many viewers in Henley, Marlow and surrounding villages are now able to receive Freeview for the very first time- before DSO all they could receive were the 4 analogue channels. This is great for them as they get many more channels, however, many of these households will only receive a portion of the mainstream Freeview channels as they get their signal from the local relay transmitters. We have received many calls and queries about this and the main complaint is that ITV3, ITV4, Film 4 and Yesterday (popular channels) are not available from these relay transmitters. For these customers who really want be able to watch these channels, we are installing Freesat- this gives them the full range of digital channels from a satellite dish, it does however mean that this costs more than having a Freeview receiver added to their existing TV aerial system.

Switchover update

The trade has now settled down ‘post-switchover’. Reception conditions in Oxfordshire have improved as a result of the switchover and we are finding it easier to achieve reliable reception for Oxfordshire viewers. The take up for receivers for the new HD services from the Oxford transmitter has not been as great as we anticipated, however there has been a demand for connections for internet TV. Customers buying Smart-TVs which can receive services like BBC i – player and 4OD are asking us to connect their TVs to their broadband routers. We are now fully equipped and able to carry out this work.

We have also found that Oxford’s Sky TV viewers are keen to have their High Definition signals available at additional points in their house – in HD! Sending these signals down CAT5 (computer) cables is now fairly economical and we have been doing a few of these installations. This type of installation fits in well with our role as Oxford’s official local ‘Sky Expert’, carrying out any specialist installation that Sky’s own installers can’t do.

We are frequently recommended by Sky to carry out unusual installs where a discrete installation is necessary. We have recently carried out an installation where the dish needed to be hidden 200 metres form the house. We installed fibre optic cable to take the signal the long distance back to the house and all worked well.

The detailed plans for the Oxford Digital Switchover have now been released.

The switchover is in two parts, on the 14th September and 28th September.

Every digital television and freeview box will need to be re-tuned on BOTH of these dates.

The switchover will be done in the night from midnight and so will be completed by 6am on each of the named days. On the 14th we will lose BBC2 analogue. This is to serve as a warning to anyone who is still relying on analogue TV for their viewing to get a digital TV or a freeview box before the 28th. Also on the 14th the BBC digital frequency will change and the new signal will be of the new higher power. All of the other analogue and digital signals will remain. On the 28th, again before 6am, all of the old analogue broadcasts will be turned off for good.

All of the new digital signals will be live and at higher power than they are now. All digital TVs and freeview boxes have different menu systems and so it is not possible to explain exactly how to do the re-tune. In general you need to go into the menu, look for the tuning sub menu and then select digital retune and re-scan for all new channels. If asked whether you want to replace the existing channels press "yes".

Although the new signals will be stronger and reception will be generally improved there may still be problems. Some very old receivers such as the old On-Digital boxes will not work at all on the new digital signals. Also, if the aerial system is amplified the new signals may end up being too strong and so a signal reducer may need to be fitted.

The final part of the switchover will happen next year on April 18th when some of the digital signals will be turned up to their final strength. Nothing will need to be done by viewers on that date. As ever, we are here to help with any problems that you have.

Beware! With the digital switchover rapidly approaching in Oxfordshire, we are becoming aware of companies moving into the area to capitalise on what they see as an opportunity to make money. Some of our customers are reporting to us that they are having their doors knocked by aerial installers in Oxford who tell them that they need to have a new digital aerial before September – even customers who have had new digital aerials fitted by us last year. Prices of around £400 have been quoted. (Over double the market price). Also there are an increasing number of companies who have a website which gives the impression that they are a local Oxford company but in fact are large national companies. They often send installers from a distance away to visit customers and therefore have to charge large amounts to cover their costs and time. These are usually the same companies who quote unrealistically low prices over the phone or on their web site and then turn up and dramatically alter their quote.

Our advice is to use a local company who have been around before the switchover and intend to still be around long after the switchover and who therefore have an interest in building a long lasting relationship with customers rather than making quick money and then disappearing!