BT-owned EE has expanded its 4G presence in Scotland by building 90 cell sites in the last 12 months.

UK’s largest mobile operator said its 4G coverage reached some locations for the first time — now covering more than 75 percent of the landmass in Scotland.

EE is building an additional 200 sites in Scotland in the coming months, as well as upgrading existing sites that currently only provide 2G. EE did not reveal its Capex (capital spending) for building 4G network in Scotland.
Simon Frumkin, MD of Emergency Services Network at EE, said: “We’ve already built 90 sites that are providing coverage for the first time, and there are more than 200 to go – this is going to revolutionise access to the digital economy across Scotland, and it will provide 4G coverage for the Emergency Services Network.”

EE’s investment in expanding the 4G coverage was focused on delivering wireless service to remote locations, such as Carsphairn in Dumfries and Galloway.

EE deployed a helicopter to deliver and pour 16 cubic metres of concrete and 18 tons of stone for the base, along with 50 pieces of the mobile tower and bracings for construction, as the site was too remote to access by land vehicle.

The engineers built the 15m tower by hand, winching each part into place, before scaling it to install the 2G and 4G antennas, connecting the residents of Carsphairn, and visitors to the area, for the first time.

“This investment shows that our Mobile Action Plan is working by creating the appropriate conditions to encourage such investment. Alongside our £25 million Scottish 4G Infill programme, which is currently in procurement, these commitments will expand mobile coverage across Scotland,” Fergus Ewing MSP, Connectivity Secretary in the Scottish Government, said.