Satellite TV Interference

April 15, 2007 2:32 AM

I'm thinking of getting Satellite TV (Sky+). Does anyone know how susceptible it is to interference from signals from nearby mobile phone transmitters?

If there is a problem, what are the best solutions?

posted by booksprite to Technology (4 answers total)

Best answer: I've never heard of such a thing. I don't think they run on the same wavelengths at all. If mobile phones interfered with satellite TV, we'd know about it.

Basically, photon radiation only interferes with photons vibrating at similar speeds, and to a lesser degree with the harmonics of a given frequency. If two wavelengths are somewhat separated and not a multiple of one another, they just don't 'see' each other and won't interfere at all.

To use WiFi as an example, there are 11 channels in the US. Any given channel will affect channels to either side up to 4 away, so channel 1 interferes with 2 through 5. But channels 1, 6, and 11 don't interfere with one another at all, and you can overlap such networks freely.

Cell phones and satellite signals are highly unlikely to be in the same bands.
posted by Malor at 5:13 AM on April 15, 2007

I've never heard of it either.
posted by ReiToei at 5:19 AM on April 15, 2007

Signals from the Sky satellites are up in the 10GHz realm, whereas even the higher frequencies used for some 3G services only hit 2.5GHz. Also, the Sky signals are highly directional, and come from way up high, so the likelihood of interference is incredibly low unless you happen to have to point your dish directly at a cellphone mast ;-)
posted by wackybrit at 6:22 AM on April 15, 2007

Response by poster: Thanks, All. Sounds like it's not a problem after all...
posted by booksprite at 7:01 AM on April 15, 2007