Where 4G broadband not-spots still exist in Scotland and what’s being done about it

Half of Scotland is now covered by 4G coverage from the four main network operators, with “ambitious targets” in place to bring the coverage up to about three quarters by 2027.

The Shared Rural Network (SRN) programme, a £1 billion project with telecoms firms Vodafone, EE, Virgin Media O2 and Three, was launched in March 2020 to clamp down on mobile ‘total not spots’ - areas where there is no phone signal - across the UK. 

The UK government, which is funding half of the rollout, with mobile operators investing £532 million collectively, said reliable connectivity improved people's safety and was fundamental to growing rural economies.

In the past four years, Scotland’s coverage alone has seen 6,700km2, an area a bit bigger than Dumfries and Galloway - about 9 per cent of the country - change from partial ‘not spots’, where at least one operator has coverage, to be covered by all four network providers.

A 4G telephone mast installed in the Borders as part of the Shared Rural Network | DMSL

It means 50 per cent of the country is now covered by 4G from all four mobile companies. SRN has a goal to increase this signal coverage to 74 per cent by 2027 - the scheduled end of the rollout programme.

Some environment charities and organisations, including the John Muir Trust and National Trust Scotland (NTS), have disputed mast developments in some areas of natural beauty given their potential visual impact and damage to ecology. According to SRN, standard masts are about 20m, and some of the sites need an access track. A total of 260 new 4G masts for total not spot areas alone have been proposed in the SRN’s latest plan, with the majority being in the Highland, Argyll and Bute, and Western Isles regions.

The current proposals include 260 sites to expand 4G coverage, but these could reduce depending on planning, landowner permission and improvement in coverage delivered by other sites | Shared Rural Network

SRN, however, said the number of proposed masts would likely reduce over the course of the programme subject to planning permission and agreements with landowners. The number could also reduce due to improvement in coverage delivered by other existing sites or efficiency of new sites.

The Highlands and Islands area had 26 per cent of the area covered with 4G signal from all network providers at the start of the project, the lowest in the country, and which the SRN aims to increase to 68 per cent in by the end of the programme.

Mid Scotland and Fife had 53 per cent 4G coverage from all networks and has a target of 78 per cent by the end of the programme. South Scotland had 55 per cent coverage and has a target of 81 per cent.

Ben Roome, chief executive of DMSL, which manages the SRN programme | DMSL

Ben Roome, chief executive of DMSL, which manages the programme, said while the target for Scotland’s 4G coverage from all operators was “ambitious”, it was lower than the other UK nations. This is, in part, due to the topography of the landscape, he said.

With Scotland’s vast range of Munros and glens, the signal doesn’t travel so well in some areas. But Mr Roome said the biggest challenge for the delivery of 4G across Scotland had been planning.

“There’s a bit of a bottleneck in terms of planning and expertise to take these sites through the planning process,” he said. “We’re putting a bit of a burden on planning authorities, particularly in the Highlands.”

Until the launch of the programme, Mr Roome said operators had little to no incentive to develop sites far from more densely populated areas. This was, in part, due it being not commercially viable for them to build in areas with fewer clients.

But with public money committed to funding mast developments in total not spot areas as part of the SRN programme, it means rural communities are becoming better connected, he said.

“Broadly speaking, communities really value connectivity and being connected,” Mr Roome said. “This certainly applies to rural businesses, such as farms. In some cases, the access track is beneficial to businesses, including crofts.

“Also nowadays there is an expectation that if you’re visiting an area, you will be able to contact people for whatever reason or look up where to stay or maybe you need help.”

Mr Roome said the rollout, however, had been met with some pushback. “We have certainly seen the resistance and want to engage with it,” he said.

“Some people are entirely comfortable and prefer to be in a place where there is no signal - it’s different to living in a busy, connected town. Others have spoken about the visual impact.

“Our goal is a coverage one though, not the number of sites, and with the naked eye you wouldn’t be able to see one mast from the next.”

Stuart Brooks, director of conservation and policy at the National Trust for Scotland, said the body was “more than happy to work with providers to find appropriate places for their facilities”.

But he said: “We are deeply concerned by the approach being taken at the moment, which seems to take no account of the nature, beauty and heritage of many locations.

“We are calling for urgent discussions to take place between government, stakeholders, communities of interest and the Shared Rural Network project teams to ensure that national targets and overall approach is reviewed and proposals within Scotland’s highly sensitive and internationally valued landscapes are stopped.”

DMSL said better connection would, in the long term, help rural communities and businesses improve access to data from weather forecast information to monitoring water quality.

Vodafone, for example, installed technology to monitor water quality and temperatures at the River Nith in Scotland to help protect Atlantic salmon from the effects of climate change.

But some communities have vehemently opposed further mast developments, including residents on the Knoydart peninsula who said the proposals for masts in the community-owned area were “totally disproportionate”.

The SRN programme also has targets to increase partial not spot areas - areas where at least one operator provides 4G signal. These are funded by the network operators themselves.

About 85 per cent of Scotland has at least one network company with 4G signal, up from 80 per cent before the project. SRN’s aim is to increase this to 91 per cent by 2027.

For the UK as a whole, the SRN aims to ensure geographic coverage from at least one operator to 95 per cent of the UK by the end of the programme. The SRN also has funding for Extended Area Services (EAS) masts being built across the UK as part of the Home Office’s Emergency Services Network programme.