First Shared Rural Network Total Not Spot Site Goes Live on Uist
- Total Not Spot site on South Uist delivers 4G coverage to areas that previously had no mobile broadband coverage from any operator
- Major programme milestone means all mobile users in the area will benefit from enhanced connectivity
- Comes as mobile network operators identify ways to reduce the number of sites needed to improve 4G coverage across Scotland
- UK Government and mobile operators continue work to tackle mobile broadband Total Not Spots following success of Partial Not Spot project
12th November 2024: The first publicly funded Shared Rural Network (SRN) Total Not Spot site has been switched on. The new site delivers 4G to areas that previously had no mobile broadband coverage from any operator. The development provides 4G coverage from all UK mobile operators, significantly enhancing connectivity for residents, businesses, and tourists.
The mast on South Uist provides mobile broadband to people living and working in the villages of Balivanich, Grimsay, Liniclate, across almost the entirety of Benbecula, to more than 30km of the A865 and many kilometres of other smaller roads and tracks. Whether visiting Ushenish Lighthouse, walking The Hebridean Way or wildlife watching around the lochs, visitors to this part of the Outer Hebrides now have access to reliable 4G for the first time. In addition, seafarers and fishermen passing through and working in The Little Minch between South Uist and Skye will also benefit.
The mast was built by Virgin Media O2 and will deliver commercial coverage from all four operators, including EE, Three and Vodafone.
Telecoms Minister Chris Bryant said: "For too long, island communities in Scotland have struggled to get online while on the go. This milestone for the Shared Rural Network means vast swathes of Uist are now covered by 4G for the first time, boosting productivity for local businesses and safety for those in remote areas.
"South Uist is the first location to benefit from this new phase of the programme, which targets areas with no 4G coverage at all. We will continue to work with the mobile network operators to maximise the benefits of this rollout for local communities while preserving areas of natural beauty."
Ben Roome, CEO of Digital Mobile Spectrum Limited which represents the four major mobile operators commented: “This site shows what can be achieved when industry, government and local stakeholders work together. Making good 4G coverage available wherever people choose to be across the UK, underpins the Shared Rural Network programme. This site going live builds on the incredible achievement of the mobile operators hitting their industry-funded coverage targets.”
Torcuil Crichton MP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, said: “I’m delighted that the Western Isles is the first area in the UK to have this publicly funded scheme switched on with the major mobile networks co-operating to fill in the blanks in the service. There are dips and black spots in mobile provision which islanders are familiar and frustrated with but by collaboration, and with government support, I hope that businesses, households and visitors to the islands can soon have full mobile broadband and 4G reception from Barra Head to the Butt of Ness.”
Alasdair Allan MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, said: “I am very pleased that this Shared Rural Network Total Not Spot site in South Uist has now been switched on, bringing 4G coverage to areas which previously didn’t have coverage from any operator. This will be beneficial for local residents, business and organisations, as well as those visiting the area. While there is still much to be done to continue improving our islands’ overall digital and mobile connectivity, this is a very welcome step forward.”
The four mobile network operators continue work to minimise the number of new masts required and now expect to meet the programme’s objectives with far fewer sites than originally planned. Feedback from communities and special interest groups plays an important role in agreeing the best locations for new infrastructure, and the mobile network operators and Government are working with stakeholders across Scotland to ensure the benefits of new sites are balanced with any environmental impacts and other concerns.
The SRN - a programme brokered by the Government and joint-funded with mobile network operators to improve mobile coverage in rural areas - has already delivered new 4G coverage to an additional 30,000 square kilometres, an area twice the size of Northern Ireland. The programme addresses long-standing connectivity challenges in rural areas by ensuring reliable mobile coverage from all our operators, EE, Three, VMO2 and Vodafone.
Through the SRN programme, the Government and the UK’s four mobile network operators aim to provide 4G coverage to an additional 280,000 premises and 16,000km of the UK’s roads.
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Notes for editors
About the Shared Rural Network
The Shared Rural Network programme is on target to deliver the combined coverage target of 95% of the UK’s landmass by the end of 2025, and further coverage improvements in more hard-to-reach areas will continue to be delivered until early 2027. For more information on the Shared Rural Network please visit https://srn.org.uk/
The programme is made up of three elements:
Partial Not Spot
Mobile network operators have collectively invested £532 million to extend their coverage by upgrading their existing networks, working together on sharing infrastructure and building new sites.
This has eliminated the majority of ‘partial not-spots’ (PNS)– areas which receive coverage from at least one, but not all, operators. This work is now complete across England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland and Ofcom has confirmed:
- 94.9% of the UK landmass now has coverage from at least one MNO
- “Full” coverage areas have increased from 66% of the UK landmass at the start of 2020 to over 78% of the UK landmass today. At the same time the scale of partial not spots have reduced from approximately 25% of the UK in 2020 to approximately 17% of the UK in July 2024
- The MNOs have collectively provided around 3.5% new coverage in areas that were Total Not Spots in 2020
- In total, around 3 million 100x100m pixels (the equivalent of around 30,000 non-contiguous square kilometres) have gone from having no or partial coverage to full coverage across the four MNOs
- There are now many more locations where consumers have more choice. It also means there are many fewer rural locations with patchy or limited coverage than in 2020
The full details can be found on the Ofcom website.
Extended Area Service
Part of the UK Government's investment will be used to make some existing government infrastructure in England, Wales and Scotland. commercially viable for all four operators. This will help deliver coverage in both partial and total not spot areas. Twenty-three of these sites are already live across the three nations.
Total Not Spot
The UK Government is investing to build new masts in areas of Scotland with no existing infrastructure. These masts will house equipment from all four operators. This will help eliminate ‘total not-spots’ (TNS) - the hard-to-reach areas where there is currently no coverage at all from any operator. A map of proposed site locations can be found on the SRN website: https://srn.org.uk/about/srn-tns-site-locations/