The Scottish Government’s Scottish 4G Infill Programme (S4GI) is a £28.75 million initiative delivering 4G infrastructure and services in up to 55 mobile “notspots” in rural and remote parts of Scotland. S4GI is being delivered in partnership with WHP Telecoms and the Scottish Futures Trust, and is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to support activity in the Highlands and Islands.

This S4GI has provided much needed 4G coverage to the pier and the village surrounding it. During and after the pandemic, the villagers have seen a huge increase in the number of visitors coming to the beach and harbour to enjoy the coast and sea.

Despite this, unfortunately there was a drop in donation takings in the donation box by the pier. The existing post was old, rusty and only had the ability to accept cash. With a grant from WHP Community Benefit Fund, Collieston Harbour Heritage group were able to replace the post with a smarter, more eye-catching post which featured a QR code, allowing visitors to make donations online.

In an increasingly cashless society, this facilitates more donations to the maintenance of the pier. This would not have been possible without both the S4GI mobile coverage and funding.

According to Michael Earlam, chairman of Collieston Heritage Community Group and local businessman, the S4GI mast in Collieston “has increased the village’s connectivity tremendously."

This case study is an example of the huge benefits the #S4GI programme is bringing to local communities. Find out more here: Scottish 4G infill programme: progress update - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)