• UK’s first joint site being built in Scotland as part of the Shared Rural Network*.
• SRN programme aims to increase geographic coverage to at least 72% of Scotland’s landmass.
• The site is expected to go live in early 2023, providing 4G connectivity to customers on the Isle of Mull.

Work on the first joint site in the UK’s Shared Rural Network (SRN) has begun, which will transform connectivity for residents and businesses on the Isle of Mull.  

This is one of 66 sites across Argyll and Bute that will deliver 4G connectivity as part of the SRN programme. It aims to increase geographic coverage from 56% of Scotland’s landmass to at least 72% by 2024, the largest SRN commitment among the home nations.

Three is leading the build on the new site and is expected to be live in early 2023. The site will also deliver connectivity to Vodafone and O2 customers as part of an agreement that will see each MNO build 74 shared sites.  

Three will start construction on two further sites in Argyll and Bute and Aberdeenshire before Christmas as it ramps up its programme of improvements in Scotland.  

As part of the wider SRN programme, work is well underway across all home nations, with 51 new sites already live.

* https://www.gov.uk/government/news/shared-rural-network

Notes for Editors:

The Shared Rural Network is a £1bn programme to improve rural mobile coverage and was agreed by the mobile network operators, Government and Ofcom in March 2020. Funded by the mobile industry and Government, investment will be made in new and existing phone masts to increase all operators’ 4G coverage to at least 90% of UK landmass and their aggregate coverage to 95% by 2026. It will provide guaranteed coverage to an additional 280,000 premises and 16,000km of roads and boost ‘in car’ coverage on around 45,000 km of road and better indoor coverage in around 1.2m business premises and homes.

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