Skye fisherman Iain MacAskill catches up on his emailing and other digital admin tasks during his long journeys out at sea.
He can also liaise with shellfish buyers throughout Europe and access mobile banking.
These activities would have been impossible a few years ago.
Ian’s ability to carry them out, sometimes more than 15 miles from home is all down to a 4G-boosting phone mast in the middle of Mallaig.
It was activated in 2021 as part of the Shared Rural Network (SRNP) programme.
The rural connectivity challenge
SRNP is bringing mobile broadband to a growing number of rural communities across the UK. It is a collaboration between the UK’s four mobile network operators – EE, Three VMO2 and Vodafone – and government.
Iain’s much-improved connectivity while fishing off the west coast is highlighted in a recent report. According to connectivity consultancy FarrPoint, improved 4G connectivity for Mallaig could be worth more than £1 million to the local community.
Fishing industry ‘vitally important’
The Rural 4G Connectivity report says: “Fishing is a vitally important industry for Scotland’s rural and coastal communities. It feeds into the wider economy and provides employment opportunities for local people. Iain knows this all too well.
“As a lifelong commercial fisherman on the Isle of Skye, Iain has lived experience of the
struggle to stay connected when out working. Thanks to EE’s 4G upgrades, he – alongside his brother who is also his business partner – can run and grow his business from his smartphone, with fast and reliable mobile connectivity.
While out potting (fishing) at sea more than 15 miles from home, Iain exchanges WhatsApp messages with buyers, while also keeping in touch with friends and family.
“I’m in touch with everything and everyone,” the Hebridean fisherman said.
‘Massive’ improvement
He added: “People in the city would take it for granted, but what I can now do while working at sea is a game-changer.
“It’s been a couple of years now since the upgrade but it was a massive improvement
“Before that, all we had were texts. It would take ages to go through, and sometimes you wouldn’t receive them.
“Ever since 4G came in, we’re using WhatsApp now. A text will instantly go through, and the other people will pick it up.”
Access to high-speed 4G connectivity has transformed how he runs his
business.
He explained: “Years ago, we’d have to come home and then go on the PC in the house.
“Now, we’ve got internet coverage at sea. I can do all my emails, banking and all that while the boat is on autopilot on our way out in the morning or on our way home at
night. I can do all my business on my phone.”
The brothers’ small boat, Valiant, is restricted to fishing on fair weather days.
If a technical fault arises , they need to act quickly to minimise downtime.
Iain said: “Now we’ve got 4G, if we’ve had a breakdown, we can just look up the
issue online, find out what we need and order the part. We can also access weather
forecasts and contact the emergency services. It’s a life-changing thing for our work.”
Better connectivity expected to deliver big rewards for Mallaig area
The FarrPoint report, commissioned by EE, looked at the socio-economic impact of upgrades to four 4G mobile masts on the rural communities they serve across the UK.
It found that improved 4G connectivity in and around Mallaig could bring total benefits to the local community of between £742,000 and more than £1m over a 15-year period.
FarrPoint chief executive Andrew Muir said: “Our work showed that even in these very remote locations, the socio-economic and environmental benefits can be sufficient to meet the required return on investment of a public intervention.
Nearly 10% of UK has no mobile coverage of any kind
“We believe there are no real technical restraints when it comes to delivering digital infrastructure to meet the needs of rural communities.
“Still, approximately 9% of the UK’s geography has no mobile coverage from any operator.”
Greg McCall, chief networks officer at telecoms giant BT Group, EE’s owner, said: “Every rural community can benefit from modern mobile connectivity.
“This report provides evidence of how it is helping local businesses grow, supporting rural employment opportunities and enabling more people to experience the benefits of the digital economy.”
Conversation