Scotland remains least connected UK nation, Ofcom reveals

A new Ofcom report has shown Scotland remains the nation with the biggest connectivity gap in the UK.

The report revealed Scotland had the highest proportion of 4G total not spots, and voice and text total not spots, standing at 11 per cent and seven per cent respectively.

A total not spot refers to an area which has no coverage from any mobile network operator (MNO).

In contrast, elsewhere in the UK the proportion of both not spot statistics stand at five per cent or lower.

Yet, this marked progress from the previous year when Scotland’s 4G total not spots stood at 16 per cent and voice and text total not spots at 10 per cent.

The report also showed significant progress in other connectivity areas north of the border.

The proportion of Scotland which has coverage from at least one of the four MNOs – Vodafone, EE, Three and O2 – stands at 89 per cent, five per cent higher than in 2023, while the proportion that has coverage from all four MNOs had increased by 17 per cent.

Meanwhile, more than 60 per cent of Scottish homes now have access to full-fibre broadband, which is up from around half in 2023, while Scotland’s rural areas saw a four per cent increase in superfast broadband – the highest increase of any area in the UK.

Glenn Preston, Ofcom’s Scotland director said: “It is heartening to see this report find that there are enhanced connectivity options across the country and supporting a broader range of Scotland’s population.

“Nonetheless, the report also demonstrates that Scotland remains, by many metrics, the least connected of the UK’s four nations, with the situation often more challenging in rural and island areas. There are a range of emerging technologies which are already being deployed to tackle the remaining gaps, and which will be critical to delivering connectivity for all Scots in the years ahead.”