Phone service could cost Carluke viewers their telly programmes

That warning - along with a re-assurance - has come from an umbrella organisation acting for the 4G phone companies as plans were announced to erect a mast near the town to provide it with the new generation of telecommunications.

The downside is that, as found in other parts of the country, 4G signals are expected to have an impact on Freeview television reception.

After this penalty for an area getting a 4G service had been recognised, the phone companies banded together to form and fund an organisation called at800 to help viewers impacted.

It claims it has already started leafleting the town with information on how to get its help.

A spokeswoman said: “We are an organisation set up under government direction to resolve Freeview TV interference when new 4G mobile phone signals are switched on.

“We are funded by the UK mobile operators who are launching 4G mobile services at 800 MHz: EE, Telefónica UK (O2), Three and Vodafone.

“Each operator contributes to funding at800 to provide corrective support for households whose Freeview services could be affected by the deployment of 4G at 800 MHz, and that use Freeview as their primary TV service.

“In the Carluke area, at800 has so far sent out 342 postcards to households that will potentially experience television interference. We have so far received 10 calls from residents, but are anticipating more with the 4G rollout.”

The spokeswoman appealed to all Freeview users in the town to go to their website

:https://at800.tv/find-out-more/ for further information.

She could not tell which operator was installing the new mast or where in Carluke for reasons of commercial confidentiality.