A remote island gets 4G for Christmas

A grandmother on Out Skerries, one of the UK’s most remote inhabited islands, is doing her Christmas shopping online for the first time ever thanks to a new EE mast introducing 4G mobile coverage to the isolated area.

The island of roughly 70 inhabitants includes Alice Arthur, age 63, who said that the new mobile internet access has “opened up a whole new world” as she shops for her seven grandchildren this festive season.

Alice, who has grandchildren ranging from 5 to 24 years old, would previously have to make a six hour round trip to reach Lerwick on mainland Shetland to do her Christmas shopping.

The new high-speed 4G connectivity is available from a new mobile mast that has been activated for 4G by EE to connect the island community as part of the Scottish Government’s £28.75 million Scottish 4G Infill programme (S4GI). The programme is delivering 4G infrastructure and connectivity to rural and island communities across Scotland, which previously had no or extremely limited mobile coverage, while respecting the rural landscape.

In addition to Out Skerries, EE has recently activated another 4G mast as part of the S4GI programme on the also hard-to-reach island of Foula, Shetland.

Alice said: “Gift buying for my grandkids was never easy as I was only able to choose from what was available on the Shetland mainland – and without many options to choose from, I was always worried that some of what I found wouldn’t be very exciting to them. But now, with this new connectivity, there’s just so much choice. I can find such a wide range of toys and clothing, at good prices, and have them delivered right to my door. It’s made things so much easier.”

Alice is just one local resident on Out Skerries to benefit from the new 4G connectivity thanks to EE’s partnerships with the Scottish Government, WHP Telecoms, Cellnex UK and Scottish Futures Trust. EE 4G connectivity is now available on 51 of the new 55 S4GI mobile masts across Scotland, with these widespread sites providing vital connectivity to not only residents, but local businesses and Scottish emergency services.

Greg McCall, Chief Networks Officer at BT Group, said: “Alice’s story is a powerful reminder of how reliable 4G connectivity can transform the everyday lives of people in rural communities, especially those living in some of the UK’s most isolated areas. 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. 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.”

Scottish Government Innovation Minister, Richard Lochhead, said: “Thanks to our £28.75 million S4GI programme we’ve brought 4G to these Shetland islands, showing our commitment to providing future-proofed connectivity to rural and island communities. These phone masts mean residents, businesses and visitors in these communities can work, communicate and access services more efficiently. 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.”