Helicopter helps bring better phone coverage to UK’s most northerly community

A helicopter was called in to give Britain’s most northerly community better mobile phone coverage.

Operator O2 flew a new phone mast to its site at Saxa Vord on Unst, Shetland, the northern-most inhabited island in Britain.

The new mast, which is closer to Norway than Edinburgh, will give more reliable 4G coverage for Unst’s 600 residents and also provide a better service for the island’s tourists.

The installation in November is one of 366 locations across Scotland to gain high-speed 4G mobile coverage from O2 in 2018, taking the total places covered by the network to 2,387 across the country.

Helicopters and off-road vehicles have been used to deal with Scotland’s challenging terrain and will be deployed again this year as the company plans to connect a further 72 communities to its 4G network.

Aiming to take their level of indoor 4G coverage to 94.6% of Scotland, this includes boosting connectivity on another island – Coll in the Inner Hebrides.

Paul Wheelhouse, Scottish connectivity minister, said: “O2 has shown innovation and commitment to bring improved mobile coverage across Scotland and we welcome that.

“2018 was a year where good progress was made in 366 Scottish communities such as in Unst and it is really encouraging to see O2 continuing that momentum in 2019, with potentially up to 72 communities in Scotland including the Isle of Coll benefiting from O2’s investment in the year ahead.

“It is vital for Scottish business and consumers in all parts of the country that they and other mobile operators do so.”

Derek McManus, O2 chief operating officer, said the upgrades are part of ongoing investment in Scotland, adding: “We know mobile has the power to make a real, positive difference to people’s lives and businesses in rural communities across Scotland.”