Structure will deliver mobile internet connection to residents for the first time
O2 has installed its first permanent 4G mobile mast in Staylittle, Wales, providing full mobile coverage to the entire village.
In the Summer of 2015, Staylittle experienced a total communication blackout for nearly two weeks.
With the nearest town located some eight miles away, residents relied on one working landline in the local Post Office to stay in contact with each other.
They were forced to stay indoors to make and receive phone calls and had to resort to satellite home internet to get online.
In response, O2 installed a temporary 2G mobile mast in the village in 2015 and since then, in collaboration with local authorities, has now installed a 4G mobile mast.
This provides full 3G and 4G coverage to the entire village, enabling residents to connect to the internet and make calls.
Continued rollout
A further 395 additional Welsh villages are set to benefit from O2’s improving rural network coverage until the end of the yet.
The operator investing £2 million each day to develop its network across the UK, with its 4G services now covering 96.8 per cent of the outdoor population.
O2 chief technology officer Brendan O’Reilly said: “Ever since we heard Staylittle’s story in 2015, we’ve worked tirelessly to get its residents to this point – where they can make calls and access the internet and social media on the move just like most of the country.
“Seeing what a difference being connected is already making to families and businesses in Staylittle has made this a memorable achievement, and one we are working hard to emulate this in other rural villages across Wales.”
