UK 4G to Interfere with 2 Million TVs in Total

The UK's fancy new 4G will come at a price.

The UK government has revealed that there's going to be a bit of a trade-off when it comes to the launch of the country's 4G LTE coverage. Talk of 4G interfering with digital terrestrial television for over a year now. Earlier this year, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) reported that  research into the situation suggested that close 900,000 people would be affected by interference from the new 4G network technology. Today, the Telegraph cites culture minister Ed Vaizey as saying 945,000 households using signal amplifiers could be affected, as well as 953,000 households that rely on communal aerials.

For those not familiar with the story, the problem lies with the 800Mhz spectrum used for mobile services being too close in frequency to the spectrum used for digital terrestrial television (DTT). This means there's a potential for interference from mobile base stations that could in turn affect some people's ability to receive DTT.

Vaizey said today that the carriers responsible for the 4G networks will also foot the bill for alleviating the interference caused by their new, faster networks. An independent body, "MitCo," has been set up to install filters in affected homes. These filters will be paid for with £180m in funding from mobile operators.

Last we heard, the filter in question would fit onto your digital TV box and block out noise. Though it can be done without the help of an engineer, the over-75s will be offered assistance in fitting the filter. Further, a helpline will be set up to help people affected by interference.

_{Follow @JaneMcEntegart on Twitter.}