4G mobile internet rolled out in Kirkwall

Following an upgrade of the equipment used to provide mobile phone signal in Kirkwall, 4G mobile internet is now available in the town.

Service provider EE today announced that it switched on the first of five 4G sites in Orkney earlier this week, with four more sites to go live in the county by June. Initial improvements will be seen in Kirkwall with the rest of Orkney, including the North and South Isles, following suit as the other four sites go live.

3G and 2G services have also been improved as part of the upgrade.

The news follows speculation on social media as to where the 4G was coming from and if it would be permanent.

Vodafone UK and O2 have also confirmed that they have rolled out 4G services to their customers.

An EE spokesman has said the new service arrives on the Orkney Islands as part of the company’s ambition to connect 95 per cent of the UK landmass, including the most extreme reaches of the country.

Mansoor Hanif, EE’s Network Director said:“We have already seen the dramatic difference that 4G can make to thousands of communities across the UK. We’re now delighted to be able to bring those benefits to the Orkney Islands – one of the most remote areas of the country. This project shows the power of the BT Group as a digital champion for the UK, making new investments to bring high-speed communications to even the most challenging locations.”