Helicopter flies in to deliver new 4G mast to rural Stirlingshire village

A helicopter has flown in new 4G masts to the remote village of Killin.

As part of its commitment to the £1bn Shared Rural Network (SRN) programme, Virgin Media O2 will be building seven new partial not-spot masts across the area.

The upgrades are set to provide residents, as well as businesses and visitors to the area, with faster and more reliable mobile connectivity.

Alyn Smith, the MP for Stirling, has welcomed the move during a visit to the first of seven new 4G masts being built in Stirling.

During a visit to one of the company’s new 4G masts , which was flown in by helicopter to the remote location, the MP was updated on Virgin Media O2’s progress in building more than seven sites in Stirling as part of the SRN programme.

He said: “I am delighted to see further Virgin Media O2 investment in the area of Stirling that will help ensure that my constituents have access to reliable mobile connectivity.

“As with many rural areas, Stirling has previously been at a disadvantage when it comes to connectivity.

Click here for more news and sport from the Stirling area.

“It is fantastic to see how the company is bringing mobile coverage to this beautiful part of the world, which will have a positive impact for the businesses, residents, and visitors to the area.

“I believe that Virgin Media O2 is really setting an example of how to properly invest in rural networks.”

Thanks to upgrade works underway, the area is set to benefit from a complete transformation in mobile connectivity which will tackle not-spots and areas of patchy signal.

The new masts will make it easier for residents, businesses and visitors to access online services and stay connected with friends and family, while also offering them a greater choice of provider.

Currently, nearly a third (29 per cent) of the area lacks 4G coverage from all four mobile network operators – Virgin Media O2, Vodafone, EE and Three – with signal blackspots creating an issue for local people and visitors alike.

The SRN upgrade programme is set to help tackle this, providing essential connectivity to people in historic not-spots.

Jeanie York, Chief Technology Officer at Virgin Media O2, said: “At Virgin Media O2, we are committed to playing our part in bringing reliable 4G coverage to communities all over Britain to help bridge the urban-rural digital divide.

“We’re going to extraordinary lengths to connect the most remote and isolated locations, including using helicopters to fly in phone masts where we need to, as part of our unwavering focus on delivering the Shared Rural Network programme.

“Many rural parts of Scotland are already benefiting from our rollout of new and upgraded masts, and we are delighted to bring enhanced mobile connectivity to the beautiful area of Stirling.

“Our Shared Rural Network rollout continues at pace, with more locations set to benefit in the near future.”

Alyn Smith’s visit took place just months after Virgin Media O2 announced it had built or upgraded a landmark 100 company-managed Shared Rural Network sites.