Virgin Media O2 has built a total not spot site as part of the governnment-funded second phase of the Shared Rural Network programme.
The new site on South Uist will provide signal to customers on all mobile networks and delivers reliable mobile coverage to people living and working in the villages of Balivanich, Grimsay, Liniclate, and across almost all of Benbecula. The new mast will also help to improve safety on busy roads in the area, including a 30km stretch of the A365.
With more than 200,000 tourists visiting the Outer Hebrides every 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. It will also help seafarers and fishermen passing through and working in an area of sea known as The Little Minch between South Uist and Skye.
The operator delivered the site on behalf of government and faced significant challenges building the remote site, with bad weather conditions making delivery and access to the island exceptionally difficult. Virgin Media O2 worked closely with build partner WHP Telecoms to overcome these challenges and deliver the site in six weeks.
Jeanie York, chief technology officer at Virgin Media O2, said, “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. 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.”