VMO2 claims SRN TNS first in South Uist

Currently, 9% of the UK by geography is in a 4G total not spot (TNS), meaning an area that receives no 4G coverage from any mobile network operator. However, businesses and residents of South Uist will no longer fall into this category, after Virgin Media O2 (VMO2) revealed it has successfully delivered the first TNS site on the second-largest island of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland under the UK’s Shared Rural Network (SRN).

Launched in 2020, the £1.3bn SRN programme is a joint initiative between the UK’s four mobile network operators – EE, VMO2, Three and Vodafone – and the UK government to extend 4G connectivity to 95% of the UK’s landmass by the end of 2025. The founding principle is that through both public and private investment, new and existing phone masts will be built or upgraded across the UK to close down so-called rural mobile notspots.

Under the scheme, the four operators have committed to improving 4G coverage and levelling up connectivity across the UK, which has seen them invest in a shared network of new and existing phone masts, overseen by a jointly owned company called Digital Mobile Spectrum Limited (DMSL). The operators’ £532m investment is being complemented by more than £501m in government funding.

Over the course of 2024, VMO2 has made a number of key deployments in Scotland under the auspices of the SRN, namely successfully building its share of the first phase of the scheme at the Glencoe Mountain Resort in July 2024, two months after rolling out enhanced 4G coverage to rural communities in the Scottish Hebrides islands.

The roll-out is said to mark a major milestone for the SRN programme as the second phase of work is focused on addressing TNS begins, and will provide signal to customers on all mobile networks, delivering reliable mobile coverage to people living and working in the villages of Balivanich, Grimsay, Liniclate, and across almost the entirety of Benbecula, for the first time.

Busy roads in the area, including a 30km stretch of the A365, will also benefit from the mast, which VMO2 said would improve public safety in the area “drastically”.

With over 200,000 tourists visiting the Outer Hebrides every single year, the site will also benefit visitors to some of Uist’s most popular destinations, including the Ushenish Lighthouse, the Hebridean Way and the area’s Lochs. In addition, seafarers and fishermen passing through and working in an area of sea known as the Little Minch between South Uist and Skye are also seen as being able to benefit.

VMO2 said it faced significant challenges building the remote site on behalf of the government, with bad weather conditions making delivery and access to the island exceptionally difficult. The company also revealed it had worked closely with build partner WHP Telecoms to overcome these challenges and deliver the site in six weeks.

“We are extremely proud to continue our industry-leading work, which is bringing reliable mobile coverage to rural communities across the UK for the very first time,” said Virgin Media O2 chief technology officer Jeanie York.

“This new site in South Uist, which will bring mobile signal to local residents, major roads and visitor attractions which were previously disconnected, illustrates how the total not spot programme can transform lives when we invest in the right locations. Targeted investment like this will provide the greatest benefit to consumers, help close the rural/urban divide and deliver growth across the country.”