PREVIEW

The U.K.’s highest phone mast has been hoisted on a peak in Glencoe in the Scottish Highlands.
The Virgin Media O2 mast sits 1,108 metres above sea level, making it the highest mobile mast standing in the United Kingdom today.
The new 4G mast will deliver signal to the Glencoe Mountain Resort, Scotland’s oldest ski centre.
Those installing the mast faced significant challenges building the remote site, with extreme weather conditions making delivery exceptionally difficult. On top of this, Glencoe is a National Nature Reserve and home to endangered species, including golden eagles and ptarmigans. Virgin Media O2 worked closely with build partner, WHP Telecoms, to overcome these challenges and deliver the site in just five weeks.
The project is part of the Shared Rural Network (SRN) programme aiming to improve mobile coverage in 227 partial not-spot areas across the UK.
Jeanie York, Chief Technology Officer at Virgin Media O2, said: “We are absolutely committed to bringing reliable mobile connectivity to more rural communities and have now completed the first phase of our SRN rollout.
“Our 227th site at Glencoe is now the highest mast in the UK and one of the most impressive to date, standing over a kilometre above sea level and providing connectivity to the nearby ski resort. This work is vital in tackling the urban-rural digital divide that exists in the UK.”
The SRN is a £1billion joint initiative between mobile network operators and the UK Government to extend 4G connectivity to 95% of the UK’s landmass by the end of 2025. The first phase of the programme required each operator to build a set number of new and upgraded sites by the end of June to tackle Partial Not Spots.
The upgrades provide customers with faster and more reliable mobile data and higher quality voice calls, transforming coverage in areas that previously suffered from patchy or slow services.