Mobile coverage boost in rural Scotland after EE mast investment

Argyll and Bute, Scotland

4G coverage in rural areas of Scotland is now at record levels thanks to a big boost in recent years in the number of new masts.

EE, the UK’s largest mobile operator and part of BT Group, has revealed today that it has switched on 2,300 4G sites across Scotland since 2012, bringing coverage to areas which had no mobile coverage before.

In Argyll and Bute, for example, 58 new 4G sites have been switched on since 2017. More than 80 new sites are planned for the area, with 24 due to be switched on, and eight awaiting planning consent.

As a result of the new mast builds, 69% of rural areas across Scotland can now receive a 4G service from EE.

In order to bring 4G to more places, EE has switched on its low-frequency 800MHz signal – which improves indoor mobile coverage – in around 800 sites across Scotland. This lower frequency signal has filled in large areas that were previously 4G ‘not spots’.

The improved 4G coverage also allows people in areas struggling with slow home broadband speeds – or those not able to get fixed broadband installed – to get home broadband via a 4G home router. EE's 4G Home Router can give average speeds of more than 30Mbps, which is faster than many standard broadband connections.

Marc Allera, CEO of BT’s Consumer division, said: “In the last few years, our investment across Scotland has resulted in a huge increase in rural mobile coverage. These new 4G mast sites have brought coverage to parts of the country that were previously unconnected. People living in and visiting rural parts of Scotland are now increasingly able to access this essential part of modern life.

“But there are still major challenges to building masts in very rural areas. The UK government’s Shared Rural Network plans should help us reach some of these final not spots. As part of that, we will share the benefits of EE’s investment in Scotland with other operators, and ensure that everyone benefits from improved coverage and choice. But it’s important also that planning rules for mast building are improved to make the process less complex and time consuming. This is a real issue in Scotland.”

Paul Wheelhouse MSP, Scottish Government Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands, said: “Thanks to this very significant investment and work carried out by EE, which we warmly welcome, many people in Scotland’s most hard-to-reach areas will by now be able to benefit from dependable and fast mobile speeds for the first time and this investment also benefits the many tourists and business travellers coming to Scotland, too.

“While telecommunications is, for now, a responsibility of UK ministers, further improving mobile coverage is vital to achieving the Scottish Government’s ambition to make sure everyone in Scotland has access to high-speed, reliable coverage. Much of that ambition will be realised thanks to our investment of £25m Scotland’s 4G Infill or S4GI programme to deliver 4G infrastructure and services in selected mobile ‘notspots’, which the people of New Luce in Wigtownshire recently benefitted from when the first 4G Infill mast in Scotland was connected. Many more S4GI masts will follow as we seek to address notspots in partnership with key mobile network operators such as EE.”

EE’s ongoing investment in rural masts will also provide coverage for the new Emergency Services Network – to be delivered by EE – which will connect 300,000 UK emergency services personnel.

EE Coverage in other rural parts of Scotland:

Orkney & Shetland

23 new 4G sites switched on since 2017
28 new 4G sites planned
5 new 4G site due to be switched on
2 existing 4G sites due for upgrade
2 UK Home Office Extended Area Service (EAS) sites planned

Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Western Isles)

23 new 4G sites switched on since 2017
31 new 4G sites planned
8 new 4G sites due to be switched on
3 new 4G sites awaiting planning consent
10 upgrades of existing 4G sites planned

Berwickshire, Roxburgh & Selkirk

4 new 4G sites switched on since 2017
11 new 4G sites planned
7 new 4G site due to be switched on
2 new 4G sites awaiting planning consent
21 UK Home Office Extended Area Service (EAS) sites planned

North Ayrshire & Arran

3 new 4G sites switched on since 2017
3 new 4G sites planned
4 UK Home Office Extended Area Service (EAS) sites planned

Dumfries and Galloway

30 new 4G sites switched on since 2017
38 new 4G sites planned
8 new 4G sites due to be switched on
4 new 4G sites awaiting planning consent
4 UK Home Office Extended Area Service (EAS) sites planned

Ross, Skye & Lochaber

40 new 4G sites switched on since 2017
65 new 4G sites planned
25 new 4G sites due to be switched on
5 new 4G sites awaiting planning consent
35 UK Home Office Extended Area Service (EAS) sites planned

Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey

12 new 4G sites switched on since 2017
22 new 4G sites planned
10 new 4G sites due to be switched on
2 new 4G sites awaiting planning consent
2 existing sites due for 4G upgrade

Caithness, Sutherland & East Ross

26 new 4G sites switched on since 2017
43 new 4G sites planned
17 new 4G sites due to be switched on
8 new 4G sites awaiting planning consent
2 UK Home Office Extended Area Service (EAS) sites planned

Gordon

7 new 4G sites switched on since 2017
8 new 4G sites planned
1 new 4G site due to be switched on
2 exisiting sites due for 4G upgrade

Ayr, Carrick & Cumnock

5 new 4G sites switched on since 2017
5 new 4G sites planned
1 exisiting site due for 4G upgrade
4 UK Home Office Extended Area Service (EAS) sites planned

ENDS

Notes to editors:

EE’s ongoing investment in rural masts will also provide coverage for the new Emergency Services Network (ESN) – to be delivered by EE – which will connect 300,000 UK emergency services personnel. The EAS programme is responsible for providing ESN coverage in the most remote and rural areas of Great Britain by building a new network of masts. These sites are in addition to those new sites being provided by EE. EAS will extend ESN coverage and transform mobile working for police, fire and rescue, and ambulance crews in the most rural or remote areas of Britain.

For more information, please contact: Ian Arnot on 07918 711488 – ian.arnot@bt.com

About EE

EE runs the UK's biggest and fastest mobile network, offering superfast 4G in more places than any other operator. EE brought the first 4G network to the UK in October 2012, and launched the UK’s first 5G network in May 2019.

EE has received extensive independent recognition, including being named the UK's best network every year since 2015 at The Mobile Choice Awards, The Mobile News Awards, The Mobile Industry Awards and by RootMetrics®.

As well as offering mobile services to consumers and small and medium businesses, EE also provides home and business broadband using both 4G and fixed line connections. Today, EE’s retail presence exceeds more than 600 shops across the UK.

EE is committed to being number one for service in the industry. It remains the only mobile provider to answer 100% of customer calls in the UK and Ireland, and was recognised as the UK’s Best Large Contact Centre by the UK Customer Experience Awards 2018 and Welsh Contact Centre Awards 2019. EE was awarded The Sunday Times’ Best 100 Companies to Work for in 2018 and 2019, as well as being named Best Employer 2018 by the European Contact Centre & Customer Service awards.

EE is part of BT’s Consumer business unit which provides products and services to all of BT’s consumer customers in the UK.