£25m will bring 4G to rural ‘notspots’

MORE than a dozen areas in Scotland with no access to 4G coverage Scotland have been identified in a £25 million project to improve mobile connectivity.

The Scottish 4G Infill programme will pay for new mobile masts in 4G “notspots”.

The majority of the initial 16 sites identified are in the Highlands and islands and include one each on Orkney, Shetland, Skye, and the Applecross peninsula, two in the Western Isles and one in Sutherland.

Other notspots include at least two in Argyll and Bute, two in Aberdeenshire, one each in Dumfries and Galloway, East Lothian and the Borders.

The Scottish Government said the final sites will be agreed as part of the procurement process and around 60 to 70 locations are expected to have improved coverage.

An Ofcom report found Scotland lags behind the rest of the UK in 4G coverage, which covers just 17 per cent of the country, compared to 24per cent in Wales, and 60 per cent each in Northern Ireland and England.

The December report stated 86 per cent of urban areas in Scotland can access 4G compared to 15 per cent of rural areas.

Connectivity Secretary Fergus Ewing, announcing the launch, said: “Widespread high-speed and reliable mobile coverage is just as vital as broadband, and ensures that people, communities, and businesses are able to stay connected.”