Mobile mast upgrades in Leighton Buzzard may disrupt Freeview and other aerial TV. Restore TV sends a free filter and can arrange an engineer if that fails.
Mobile networks are being upgraded in Leighton Buzzard, and anyone who watches television through an aerial may notice the picture or sound playing up as a result. Free help, including a filter posted to your door, is available from Restore TV, the programme set up to fix interference caused by mobile upgrades.
The programme announced the Leighton Buzzard work on 28 October. It says the upgrades will boost the speed, performance and coverage of mobile services in the town, and that there is “a small chance” they will interfere with TV received through an aerial: Freeview, BT, TalkTalk and YouView.
The signs to look for
Restore TV lists three symptoms:
- sound that cuts in and out
- a blocky, pixelated picture
- the TV losing signal altogether, with a “no signal” message
Cable and satellite services such as Sky and Virgin are not affected. Households that have one of those but also watch free to view channels through an aerial can still ask for a filter.
The programme says you are more likely to be affected if your home already has weak digital TV reception, if you use a TV signal booster, or if your aerial is close to a mobile mast.
What Restore TV will do
Ben Roome, chief executive of Restore TV, said: “TV keeps people informed, entertained and connected. Restore TV ensures everyone can continue watching free to view television as mobile services are improved across the UK.
“If you notice new TV interference, we can help. We’ll send a free filter to simply fit between your aerial lead and TV or set-top box that removes mobile signals. We include clear instructions and our team is available online and by phone with free support.
“In most cases, the filter solves the issue, but if not, we may be able to arrange a free engineer visit depending on eligibility.”
The programme offers extra support to people who are 75 or older, who are registered blind or partially sighted, or who receive personal independence payment, attendance allowance, constant attendance allowance or War Pensioner’s Mobility Support.
People in flats or other communal buildings with a shared aerial are not left to sort it out alone: Restore TV says it works with landlords and property managers to fix the problem at the building.
Who runs it
Restore TV is delivered by Mova, the trading name of Digital Mobile Spectrum Limited, which is owned by the UK’s mobile network operators EE, Virgin Media O2 and VodafoneThree. The service is free. The programme reports to the Coexistence Technical Working Group, chaired by Ofcom, which monitors it and advises on it.
Some of the radio frequencies now used for 4G and 5G were once used for television, which is why a nearby mast upgrade can reach an aerial.
What it means for you
If your aerial TV develops new problems in the coming weeks, it is worth ruling out the upgrades before paying for an aerial engineer. The weather and faulty aerials cause interference too, and the Restore TV website has an online tool that works through your symptoms to say whether the mobile upgrade is the likely cause. It also has a postcode checker showing whether the programme has posted cards to your area.
To ask for help, call 0808 13 13 800 (free from landlines and mobiles) or go to restoretv.uk.
More on getting around and living in the town: our Leighton Buzzard roadworks and travel page.
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