Ripped off by the Government’s 4G money-making scheme

A COUPLE of years ago, the UK Government sold off rights to the section of the frequency spectrum previously occupied by the analogue TV signal, to the big mobile phone companies for their roll-out of the 4G mobile system.

It was aware that the proximity of this frequency band to the Freeview TV band could cause problems of interference with the TV signal.

With the prospects of making many millions of pounds from the sale, it blithely assured us any interference was easily cured by fitting a (supposedly free) filter in the aerial line.

Rollout of the 4G system and changes to the Freeview frequency have recently occurred in our part of the north-east, with the result our Freeview signal is now practically unusable.

Contacting the helpline revealed that the symptoms were certainly down to the mobile signal, and a filter would be supplied. But it was only free if someone in the house was over 75, disabled or in receipt of benefits. With our resident 76-yearold, this should have been fine, but for the fact that the TV signal in our area is weak and needs an amplifier near the chimney-mounted aerial to work at all.

So the fix is only free if the resident 76-year-old scales a ladder and has the skills to fix the filter in the line. Otherwise, we pay for a commercial company to do the fix.

So:

1: Government sells off bits of frequency spectrum, in full knowledge it may cause problems, but pocketing millions of pounds as a result.

2: The mobile phone companies make a profit from the 4G service.

3: If there are problems, it’s up to the individual TV viewer to sort them out.

4: Except in special circumstances, that’s going to cost the viewer to fix a problem government has caused.

Interesting example of Tory morality.

Dr RM Morris,

Veslehaug,

Polesburn,

Methlick,

Ellon.