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 Ltd. and the Scottish Futures Trust, and is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to support activity in the Highlands and Islands.

One area to benefit from the programme was Pairc, Isle of Lewis. In 2021, the WHP S4GI Community Benefit Fund provided funding towards the annual cost of running their locally-owned community centre neighbouring the S4GI Lemreway mast.

WHP’s grant supports the centre’s various activities, including ‘Digital Drop-In’ sessions offering guidance to people in Pairc who are not as digitally able as they would like to be. This involves providing education on use of devices and set up of routers to enable access to the new 4G connections activated in the area, thanks to S4GI. They also provide a remote working environment with printing and scanning facilities for workers within Pairc, as well as IT facilities for visitors.

Fiona Stokes, local resident from Pairc Trust, said:

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)