After years of effort, the Scottish Government’s £28.75 million 4G infill programme has achieved its goal of spreading coverage in rural areas of Scotland. 

The initiative aimed at addressing 55 mobile “notspots,” and has now successfully erected new masts across remote parts of the country, providing essential connectivity to previously underserved communities.

Officially announcing the completion of mast construction and 4G activation within the programme, the Scottish Government highlighted the collaborative efforts that made this achievement possible. The project received partial funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and was executed in partnership with leading infrastructure provider WHP Telecoms, Cellnex UK, and the Scottish Futures Trust.

With the activation of all 55 sites, residents in rural and island areas now have access to more reliable 4G infrastructure and services. While mobile operators such as EE (BT), O2 (VMO2), and Vodafone have contributed by providing 4G coverage through many of the new mast sites, the majority of live sites currently operate on EE’s network, and Three UK’s involvement in the project appears limited.

Despite the significant milestone achieved by this programme, efforts to expand mobile coverage will continue. The broader £1 billion Shared Rural Network (SRN) project, led by the UK government and industry partners, aims to extend 4G mobile coverage to 95% of the UK by the end of 2025, with a focus on reaching 91% coverage in Scotland. 

The SRN project employs a combination of mast sharing and new mast construction to achieve its targets.

Recently, the SRN project hit the milestone of upgrading or building 100 company-managed 4G coverage sites, with the 100th site being on the Isle of Skye.

Recommended reading

• Virgin Media O2’s SRN Rollout Hits Milestone After Isle of Skye Build
• 50 Rural Sites in UK Receive 4G as Part of £1bn SRN Program
• £1bn Rural Network Rollout Faces Delays

“With so much of our modern life taking place online, rural communities deserve the same standard of mobile connectivity as those in urban areas,” said Virgin Media O2’s chief technology officer, Jeanie York at the time.

As rural connectivity becomes vital for economic development and societal inclusion, these initiatives underscore the importance to bridge the digital divide and ensuring equitable access to essential services across Scotland.