Stay in the picture

The good news for Strathaven residents is that they can look forward to the switch-on of a new 4G service which will give faster access to the internet on smartphones and tablets.

But the bad news is it could cause interference to Freeview TV, which is received via an aerial.

Because 4G at 800 MHz signals sit next to the frequencies used by Freeview, they can overload the receivers in TVs and set-top boxes causing interference. Signs of interference include the loss of channels or sound, pictures going blocky, freezing or the TV screen going blank or showing a ‘No Signal’ message.

Help is available, however, because set-up under government direction, a company called at800 offers free support to households that rely on Freeview for their TV to resolve 4G related interference problems.

Cable and satellite TV, like Sky or Virgin, won’t be affected.

Ben Roome, CEO of at800, said: “We want to ensure that people know it’s our role to fix Freeview interference caused by 4G at 800 MHz, and that there’s no charge for our service.

“If you rely on Freeview for TV, we can arrange for one of our accredited engineers to visit homes to fix Freeview interference caused by 4G signals, free of charge.

“If you use Freeview alongside other TV services, we can send free filters which block mobile signals that are easy to fit to the aerial lead connecting to TVs and settop boxes.”

Viewers who experience interference to Freeview should contact at800 on 0808 1313 800 (free from landlines and mobiles) or at www. at800.tv/contact-us