Highland bin lorries to collect mobile phone signal data to help boost accuracy of coverage checks
Bin lorries across the Highlands are to be fitted with devices to collect mobile phone signal data with the aim of understanding the experience of mobile phone users and to provide locals and businesses with accurate mobile phone information.
The year-long programme, part-funded by infrastructure body, the Scottish Futures Trust (SFT), aims to accurately record what mobile coverage is available across Moray, Aberdeenshire and Highland council areas.
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The collected data will include signal strength, network speed, and coverage details for the UK's major mobile operators – EE, O2, Three, and Vodafone.
The results will help identify areas where there is limited coverage and guide improvements and the roll out of future solutions, especially in remote communities where digital exclusion is a significant issue.
It is proposed that the data will be made available to residents and businesses through a free coverage checker, provided by Streetwave, aimed at allowing users to make better informed choices about which mobile network provider to choose.
The mapping exercise will be carried out using the local authority's fleets of bin lorries together with other council vehicles travelling along approximately 10,000 miles of roads.
Gaining an accurate understanding of mobile coverage and true user experience is crucial in shaping future investment to enhance digital connectivity across Scotland.
Helping to reduce the cost of the initiative, Moray, Highland and Aberdeenshire councils agreed to come together to drive the exercise and provide a fuller picture across the region.
Business minister Richard Lochhead said: "This is a really good example of the public sector working smart and making the most of existing resources to deliver positive change in an area which can face network challenges.
"This innovative and collaborative programme will not only help public bodies and communities make informed choices about networks but could also help guide future investment in mobile connectivity in the north of Scotland."
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Neil Rutherford, who leads the digital connectivity team at the Scottish Futures Trust, explained: "Using bin lorries that already travel across our roads into all communities is a practical way of collecting reliable mobile data.
"By working with Streetwave and the Local Authorities to build our understanding of coverage across the country, in both rural and urban areas, we are establishing a strong understanding of mobile connectivity issues. It's only by having the right data and the right digital tools can we work together to truly connect all of Scotland."
Highland Council leader, Cllr Raymond Bremner, said: "Good digital connectivity is critical for Highland communities and businesses. In rural areas, the mobile network plays an important part in providing that connectivity not just for mobile phones, but also for fixed broadband for properties not served by fibre.
"Having accurate information on the real-world availability and performance of the network will enable Highland Council to identify areas with coverage and make the case for targeted investment."
George Gibson, Partnerships Director and Co-Founder of Streetwave, said: "We are delighted to be working with SFT to map mobile coverage in some of Scotland's most rural councils.
“By providing detailed coverage insights, we will empower digitally excluded communities to highlight the challenges they face and help drive the targeted interventions needed to improve connectivity."