Christy Swords (Letters, 28 January) notes that millions of homes still use Freeview, but his case for retaining the terrestrial TV network would carry more weight were he not – as his letter makes clear – a consultant for Arqiva, the privately owned monopoly owner of the masts and transmitters that power Freeview.
Mr Swords claims that preserving Freeview into the 2040s carries “zero risk” for households reliant on digital terrestrial television. He is wrong. It would actually result in a two-tier system, leaving a minority of vulnerable homes with an inferior free TV service: fewer channels, fewer programmes and basic functionality.
