UK mobile operator EE has installed new mobile masts in two remote Scottish islands.
The operator has installed a 4G mast on Out Skerries, one of the UK's most remote islands with a population of around 70, and another on Foulda, Shetlands.
The masts are part of the Scottish Government’s £28.75 million ($36.29m) Scottish 4G Infill program (S4GI), which aims to deliver 4G infrastructure to rural areas across the country.
“These new 4G sites provide residents with fast and reliable access to online services like banking, healthcare, and shopping, while empowering rural Scottish businesses to take mobile payments and offer new digital experiences," said Greg McCall, chief networks officer at BT Group.
"Together with the Scottish Government and our industry partners, we are helping close the UK’s digital divide and deliver the connectivity boost countryside communities can rely on.”
SI4G has built 55 4G masts in rural Scotland in challenging remote conditions.
Earlier this year, EE confirmed it has extended its coverage of 4G services to more than 1,500 rural communities across the UK, as part of the telcos commitment to the Shared Rural Network (SRN) program, with Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands among the areas covered.
Since signing the SRN deal in March 2020, EE claims to have delivered more than 2,000 square miles of additional 4G connectivity to rural areas across each of the four UK nations.