FASTER internet for mobile phone users has arrived in Leominster – but television signal for those who use Freeview might be affected or lost in the process.

Fourth generation (4G) gives people faster access to the internet on smartphones and tablets but there is a small chance some 4G mobile signals transmitted at 800 MHz will cause interference to Freeview, which is TV received via an aerial.

Signs of interference are loss of sound, pictures going blocky, freezing or the TV screen going blank or showing a ‘no signal’ message.

The signals for 4G sit next to the frequencies used by Freeview and can overload the receivers in TVs and set-top boxes causing interference.

Help is on hand from the company at800, which was set-up under government direction, and offers free support to households that rely on Freeview for their TV to resolve 4G related interference problems.

Extra support is also on offer for the elderly and those that receive disability premiums (income support).

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 set-top boxes.”

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

People who live in communal properties should contact at800 and also advise their landlords. The company can provide free filters to landlords but property managers are responsible for the cost of fitting these.

Viewers who experience new interference to Freeview should call at800 on 0808 13 13 800 (free from landlines and mobiles) or visit at800.tv/contact-us