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The £28.75 million initiative has seen 55 new 4G masts deployed in hard-to-reach areas across the country
The Scottish government has published an evaluation of the recently completed Scottish 4G Infill Programme (S4GI).
The S4GI, devised back in 2017, was aimed at deploying 4G LTE connectivity to not-spots across Scotland that were unlikely to be covered by private sector rollout programmes. The programme was backed by £28.75 million, £10 million of which was provided by the European Regional Development Fund.
In 2018, the Scottish government appointed WHP Telecom to deliver the project and the infrastructure provider has been gradually deploying the required infrastructure in partnership with the various mobile network operators ever since.
In their evaluation, the Scottish government showed that 55 new telecoms masts had been erected in rural areas, delivering 4G connectivity to 2,211 homes and businesses.
Of those 55 masts, 51 are served by EE, 1 by Three, and 3 jointly Vodafone and Virgin Media O2.
EE is the sole provider on 35 masts, while EE, Vodafone, and VMO2 are all available on 16 masts.
“Although Telecoms responsibility is reserved to the UK Government, the Scottish Government has long recognised the vital importance of good digital connectivity – both for work, for business and for day-to-day life,” said Tom Arthur, SG Employment and Investment Minister in a statement. “S4GI is an excellent example of strategic investment delivering multiple benefits. This is about creating opportunities for businesses, improving daily life and ensuring no one – even the hardest to reach – is left behind in the digital era.”
Overall, the government’s research suggests that the S4GI has dramatically improved connectivity and reduced the digital divide in selected areas. However, it also found that some people and businesses continue to experience difficulties in mobile connectivity, both in terms of coverage and lack of operator choice.
In short, there is still much more work to be done when it comes to covering Scotland with quality mobile connectivity.
“The availability of 4G services has proven to be transformational for residents and businesses in these 55 areas included as part of the programme, and we are sharing the lessons learned through months of complex build and collaboration with the UK Government so that they may benefit the ongoing rollout of the Shared Rural Network (SRN) programme,” added Arthur.
The SRN is a £1 billion private-public partnership aimd at extending 4G coverage to 95% of the UK by the end of 2025 by deploying additional infrastructure.
In January, EE announced it had completed its portion of the first stage of the SRN ahead of schedule, largely through upgrading its existing infrastructure. Three, Vodafone, and VMO2, on the other hand, have said that they will not meet their rollout targets and have asked the government for more time.
Is the UK telecoms industry doing enough to extend connectivity to the hardest-to-reach areas of the country? Join the discussion at Connected Britain 2024, taking place in just two weeks time!
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