Freeview testing next week

God forbid you should miss Thatcher's funeral on the telly next week (or the media's coverage of the celebratory parties and riots), but it's possible your viewing may be interrupted if you use Freeview.

At800.tv have contacted us to let you know this (although we're sure you'll hear about it anyway):

What’s happening?

From 15 April there will be a test in south east London to help understand the extent to which 4G at 800 MHz may disrupt Freeview.

Why should local residents care?

4G is the next generation of mobile telecommunications, which operators plan to roll out using the 800 MHz frequency this year. As 4G mobile services at 800 MHz and digital TV operate in adjacent parts of the radio spectrum, equipment that receives television signals, such as aerials, amplifiers, and digital tuners, can fail to block 4G at 800 MHz. This can cause loss of sound, blocky images or loss of some or all Freeview channels.

What are the details?

The test is being run by at800, the organisation responsible for ensuring UK viewers continue to receive free-to-air television when 4G mobile services at 800 MHz are launched later this year.
The test will encompass approximately 170,000 home and business addresses in south east London, across properties in the Boroughs of Greenwich, Lewisham, Southwark and Tower Hamlets. at800 is asking viewers in the area to report problems with television reception from Monday 15 April. Households and businesses that may be impacted will receive information through the post over the next few days.


You can read more about this in the press release on our website here: https://at800.tv/press-releases/freeview-and-4g-at-800-mhz-coexistence-test-in-south-east-london/

If you or any of your readers have issues due to the test, you can contact us on

Facebook: www.facebook.com/at800tv
Twitter: www.twitter.com/at800tv
Google+: www.gplus.to/at800tv
Our call centre: 0333 31 31 800


All you people (like us) who are too poor (or for whatever reason) to have Sky or Virgin can pop round to your Sky-fuelled neighbours to watch the funeral/riots if you're having problems! Make sure to report any problems you get though.

UPDATE: at800tv have contacted us again to reassure us that there will be no disruption to Freeview during the Thatcher funeral (!)

Of course if you're reading this, you can watch iPlayer, 4OD etc. You can see this, for instance, without Freeview: from the MP for Hampstead & Kilburn, Glenda Jackson, who, by dint of living in Blackheath, was the nearest the local Labour Party probably got to a female politician before Joan Ruddock came along in 1987...