The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) says that 4G transmitters are going to affect terrestrial TV broadcast reception in nearby households.
In the UK, about 900,000 homes will be affected and they will all be issued with filters on the basis of their proximity to the transmitters.
The filters will connect onto a set-top-box and this will be able to be done by anyone without the need for a specialist fitter.
Most of the 900,000 will be able to have these filters fitted. However, some 10,000 of them will not benefit from the filters, and will have to switch to satellite or cable TV.
If a household can’t switch to cable or satellite, and the DCMS thinks there could be 500 such households, they’ll be given £10,000 by the government and advised to figure out their own alternative.
The DCMS recommends that groupings of such households could pool their money to invest in additional relay transmitters.
The nationwide cost of providing the filters will be £108m which will be funded by the winners of the 4G spectrum auction which has been delayed by bickering among potential licensees but it currently due for later this year.