What is going to happen to the free-to-view satellite cards?

What is going to happen to the free-to-view satellite cards?

^{Brian Butterworth published on UK Free TV 2nd October 2014 at 12:27}
Archived 10301

According to the BBC:

If you have a Free-to-View (or 'Solus') card or if you have a Sky card, but have stopped paying your subscription to Sky

If your card looks like this:

or


You will still get the BBC channels that are “Free-to-Air”, and the correct regional (or national) version of BBC ONE at 101, and BBC TWO at 102, until September.

The box will then default to BBC ONE London at 101, and BBC TWO England at 102, independent of where you live in the UK. Your local BBC regional output will be available in the 941-962 numbers of the EPG.

However without your viewing card you will lose itv-1, Channel 4, and five. Please see here for your options.

If your card looks like this:

You will get access to all the free-to-air channels, and the free-to-view channels.

You will get your correct regional (or national) version of BBC ONE and BBC TWO, plus your localised ITV region, at channels 101, 102 and 103 respectively.

Additionally, if you live in England, a local version of BBC ONE will appear at channel 101 when these variants launch on 29 July 2003.

If you live in Wales you will get S4C at Channel 104, instead of Channel 4. However you can still access Channel 4 on channel 184.

You will be able to get all the other regional and national variants of BBC ONE and TWO in the 941-962 numbers on the EPG from the end of July, regardless of where you live.

Your card will continue to work for between three and five years.