LTE tests suspended for a weekend to avoid DTT interference

French audiovisual regulator the CSA asked operators to suspend their LTE tests in Laval over the weekend of the 15-16th October to avoid interference with DTT signals during the semi-finals of the rugby world cup and for  the announcement of the socialist party candidate for next year’s presidential election.
The CSA technology director Franck Lebeugle wrote to operators and equipment makers telling them that some equipment had caused interference at a dozen buildings housing 300-400 people.
 The LTE tests are being run by Orange France, SFR, Bouygues Telecom, Alcatel-Lucent and TDF.
Hugues Martinet, director of TV operations at Towercast, which was not chosen for the tests in Laval, told Les Echos that the company was informed by users of significant interference, including freezing the image and even blocking reception altogether. The signal from the regions TV transmitters is said to be too weak relative to the LTE base stations operating next to homes, he added.
CSA refused to comment until the end of the ongoing tests.
Source: Telecompaper
Item added: 24th October 2011