New research from Excentis, a specialist in testing and access network technology research, reveals that some European cable TV viewers may face an increased possibility of interference as more powerful LTE base stations and home equipment enter into the user space.
“What we have now seen is that the debate on interference continues and so does attention to the risks to manage," said Caroline Van Weede, managing director of Cable Europe. "One new element in this equation is the risk of interference caused by base stations used for LTE. In cities where these stations are among more densely packed areas, it is important to understand how consumers and business would deal with being next to a fixed source of interference."
According to the Excentis report, "The required distance to avoid interference varies between different models of consumer premises equipment, but for some models a distance of even more than 6m is required." Regarding base stations, the report says, "If interference is caused by the base station, it is likely to be constantly present … Moreover, the user has no control on the signal of the base station." The report cites an example where 35 percent of LTE devices used in urban areas will have to operate at "high power," and at these levels would likely cause interference if the user came within 10ft of in-home consumer equipment.
Van Weede is unsatisfied that consumers will be protected from the interference. "We would like to see solutions from all actors be considered in light of cable's efforts to boost mitigation moving forward," she says.
Cable Europe favors building out high-speed, fiber-based networks to help deliver the high-quality content in Europe.
