The government-backed Shared Rural Network has switched on its 140th mobile mast, with 49 now live in Scotland — including a second site on Islay that restores signal from all four networks to an area that previously had none.
The Shared Rural Network — the joint UK Government and mobile operator scheme to close 4G mobile not-spots — has activated 140 masts across the UK by the end of June 2026, with 49 of those in Scotland.
The latest addition is a second "total not-spot" site on Islay, bringing coverage from EE, O2, Three, and Vodafone to part of the island that previously had no signal from any network at all. Other recent Scottish sites include Arran, Jura, Dukes Pass in the Trossachs, and Tarbert on Kintyre.
Scotland's 11% total not-spot rate is still more than double the UK average of 5%, so this is real but partial progress — worth tracking against how many sites remain scheduled.
Vodafone withdrew its £12/month Essentials tariff, raising its entry price to £20. Virgin Media's Essential Broadband at £12.50 is now the lowest verified social tariff on the market — a reminder that these deals and their prices shift, so it's worth checking before you apply.
The government-backed Shared Rural Network switched on its 50th mobile mast in Scotland on the remote Ardnamurchan peninsula, extending all-four-operator 4G coverage across more than 1,900 square kilometres of rural Scotland — an area larger than Edinburgh and Glasgow combined.
The House of Commons Scottish Affairs Committee is taking public evidence on broadband and mobile coverage in rural and island Scotland. Submissions are a direct way to get lived experience in front of policymakers.
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