FarrPoint Study 4G Mobile Network Performance on Orkney in Scotland

Consultancy firm FarrPoint has today published the results of a new study, which saw them working with the Orkney Islands Council to investigate 4G mobile coverage and network performance (mobile broadband) across Orkney. Vodafone and O2 were found to have the best coverage in the main areas surveyed, while Three UK and EE have the “worse coverage overall“.

The Orkney study also looked at the impact on local businesses from increased numbers of people using mobile (particularly when cruise ships come), which involved a survey of 39 local businesses – the majority being based in Kirkwall and Stromness.

Overall, FarrPoint’s economic assessment suggested that poor mobile coverage may lead to mobile access issues for tourists and the local community. But the same impact is not being felt by local businesses, who mostly use fixed (broadband) connectivity.

The study also found opportunities for improving mobile connectivity across Orkney, however, it concluded that any improvements “would not have an economic impact on businesses” when there are increased tourist numbers from cruise ships.

Stage 1: Coverage Results

Conclusions

• EE – Overall coverage is relatively poor in Kirkwall and across the barriers to St Margaret’s Hope, with slightly better coverage in the Stromness area.

• Vodafone – Coverage is generally good in all areas except the main road to the northwest, which has poor coverage to the north.

• O2 – Coverage is good in Stromness and in some parts of Kirkwall. However, the road to the northwest and across the barriers, plus St Margaret’s Hope, has more mixed coverage.

• Three UK – Coverage is poor in most areas, with Finstown having almost no coverage. Stromness is the exception from Three, which has good coverage.

Overall:

• Vodafone and O2 have the best coverage in the main areas surveyed. Three and EE have poorer coverage overall. EE and Three best serve the road heading to the northwest of the mainland.

• However, it is important to recognise that user experience is affected by both coverage and capacity. Where the data suggests reasonable coverage, if user issues remain, then capacity could be an issue that would require the operators to take action.

• Our survey recorded 4G coverage from all four operators, plus Ofcom indicates that O2 has some 5G coverage in Orkney.

This will be non-standalone 5G, meaning that a sufficient 4G service is still required to enable access to the 5G network and potentially higher throughputs. Looking ahead, mobile networks will remain on 4G for a significant period of time and it is expected additional operators will deploy 5G in Orkney as networks are refreshed. 5G Standalone coverage will increase in urban areas, but may need further intervention if it was required in more rural areas.

Ewan Kennedy, Council Graduate Trainee (Digital Engagement & Enterprise), said:

“Access to reliable mobile coverage is increasingly essential to all and whilst Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) publish their coverage maps, these are based on modelled (predicted) coverage and don’t necessarily reflect the real, on the ground experience of users.

Mobile phone coverage in Kirkwall and Stromness varies depending on the network provider and officers have had anecdotal evidence from residents and businesses that the coverage is not always as good as a mobile operator information may suggest.

Gaps in coverage remain and some are being addressed by intervention programmes such as S4GI and Shared Rural Network, but not all.

Through this data gathering exercise we now have a much better understanding of the ‘lived experience’ of users in Kirkwall and Stromness and can identify coverage gaps and areas needing improvement and enhanced mobile coverage.

The data from this project will directly feed into development of projects to improve connectivity in the area.

Anecdotally, it has been suggested that mobile performance is affected when there is an influx of visitors to the county using the local mobile networks resulting in the inability of local businesses to fully function, e.g. take card payments.

The survey findings found this was not the case – in fact out of 39 business respondents, only one, who was reliant on a mobile signal, gave a negative response to their business during high visitor density days. All other businesses reported only positive responses.”

The report recommends that improvements should be focused on mobile coverage and capacity where there is a demonstrated need. A review of overall resilience to ensure high availability of service is also advised.