Glen Cloe, a landmark of Scotland’s revered Highlands, is now home to the UK’s highest phone mast, according to Virgin Media O2.

With this installation, the telecoms conglomerate has announced it completed the first phase of its Shared Rural Network (SRN) rollout, a £1 billion project aiming to bring 4G broadband coverage to rural communities across the UK.

The mast at Glencoe Mountain Resort has reached the height of 1,108m (3,635ft) above sea level, and required a helicopter to be constructed.

The spot is a ‘partial not spot’ – a spot that lacked any broadband coverage, and a key target of the SRN project.

Marking Virgin Media O2’s 227th SRN site, the company claims to have built “more shared sites than any other operator,” though EE was the first broadband provider to reach the Partial Not-Spot 2024 target laid out by the government initiative.

“We are absolutely committed to bringing reliable mobile connectivity to more rural communities and have now completed the first phase of our SRN rollout,” chief technology officer of Virgin Media O2, Jeanie York, said.

“Our 227th site at Glencoe is now the highest mast in the UK and one of the most impressive to date, standing over a kilometre above sea level and providing connectivity to the nearby ski resort. This work is vital in tackling the urban-rural digital divide that exists in the UK.”

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The official target of 88% coverage, a key figure in the PNS goal, has not been offcially reached as it is dependent on the continued work across different operators, including EE, Vodafone, and Three UK, as well as Virgin Media O2.

Ofcom is set to run a progress report on the Shared Rural Networks’ progress, which is vital in bridging the divide between urban and rural communities.