‘Not-spots’ to be filled in Highland network; Nairnshire community set to join ones in Wester Ross, Lochalsh, Ardnamurchan and Skye with new 4G mobile phone masts
A RURAL Nairnshire community will soon become one of the first locations to benefit from efforts to plug gaps in the mobile network through a new partnership between government and business.
Mobile network EE has partnered with the Scottish Government and the Home Office to bring 4G to some of Scotland’s most rural locations for the first time.
Three communities have already gone live – with Littlemill in Nairnshire set to follow suit within the coming fortnight.
In all, some 32 Scottish locations are to see their mobile coverage improve in the next six months – including Applecross and Polbain in Wester Ross, Killilan in Lochalsh, Glencripesdale in Ardnamurchan, and Tarskavaig on Skye. They are also being lined up for their first ever 4G connections.
The sites are all part of the Scottish Government’s
£25 million Scottish 4G Infill programme (S4GI) which is delivering 4G infrastructure and services in so-called ‘not-spots’ in rural Scotland, providing 4G connectivity to areas which previously had no coverage.
Delivered by the S4GI programme, and connected as part of EE’s Emergency Service Network partnership with the Home Office, the new sites will provide vital connectivity in some of Scotland’s most rural areas.
Scottish emergency services and mountain rescue teams will be able to access a reliable 4G mobile service for the first time, as well as residents, visitors and businesses.
By the summer of 2023, the Scottish Government’s S4GI programme is anticipated to deliver up to 40 masts, including the Emergency Service Network rollout.
Scotland’s connectivity minister Paul Wheelhouse said: “This network will help future-proof the health and livelihoods of local rural communities.”
