If you watch TV through a Freeview aerial or a Freesat satellite dish, you might want to prick up your ears. There are reports that the UK government is in the process of drawing up plans to phase out the TV services.
That’s according to The Telegraph via Cord Busters, who say that a green paper (a document that sets out proposals for discussion before any final decisions are made) has been signed off by both the Culture Secretary and Technology Secretary.
Freeview provides access to the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and more than 70 other live channels through your TV aerial. Freesat does a similar job, but broadcasts are delivered via satellite. Neither requires a wi-fi connection to work.
You have to pay for the installation of a satellite dish if you don’t have one, but if you own a TV that already has Freesat or Freeview built in, then the service doesn’t cost extra. There is also the option to buy a set-top box to add to your system.
So why might the affordable services be meeting their demise? There is no official answer, but it’s clear that companies have been moving towards streaming increasingly over the years.
There is also a platform ready and waiting to take over the live TV duties: Freely. It delivers live TV channels and catch-up content for free through your broadband connection, giving you access to BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and Channel 5 and plenty of other channels. This is good news if you don’t want the faff of installing the extra kit, but it does raise a rather troubling question.
Removing access to free live TV for those without a wi-fi connection means that many households could be left isolated. After all, five per cent of the UK population over the age of 16 does not have home internet access, with many citing affordability as a concern, according to a report from Ofcom.
Under current legislation, traditional TV broadcasting is set to continue until at least 2034. And Cord Busters reports that some conditions must be met before Freesat and Freeview can be ditched, including “superfast broadband is available across the entire UK at affordable prices” as well as providing a subsidy for households that cannot afford it.
We have reached out to Freely for comment, and will update this page with their response. Let’s hope that this possible new legislation keeps live TV affordable and accessible for households across the UK.
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