Virgin Media O2 has completed its commitments to the first phase of the Shared Rural Network (SRN) program in the UK.

In a statement, the carrier said that it has built more shared sites than any other carrier to improve cellular coverage in 227 partial not-spot areas.

The SRN aims to connect some of the UK's most remote areas and is supported by the mobile industry and government to increase all operators’ 4G coverage to 90 percent of UK landmass and their aggregate coverage to 95 percent by 2027.

It's a £1 billion ($1.27bn) partnership between the four carriers and the UK government to deliver more reliable connectivity to the country's most remote locations.

The milestone was reached on June 30, with Glencoe Mountain Resort, the 227th site deployed by Virgin Media O2.

According to Virgin Media O2, the mountainous site is more than a kilometer above sea level, making it the highest mobile mast standing in the country.

"We are absolutely committed to bringing reliable mobile connectivity to more rural communities and have now completed the first phase of our SRN rollout," said Jeanie York, chief technology officer at Virgin Media O2.

"Our 227th site at Glencoe is now the highest mast in the UK and one of the most impressive to date, standing over a kilometer above sea level and providing connectivity to the nearby ski resort. This work is vital in tackling the urban-rural digital divide that exists in the UK.”

UK regulator Ofcom gave all four operators, including Vodafone, O2, and Three, until June 2024 to meet their individual SRN coverage targets for partial not-spot areas.

EE was the first carrier to complete the first phase of the Shared Rural Network (SRN) coverage rollout, doing so in January, six months ahead of schedule.

Update: Vodafone also confirmed it has completed the first phase of the SRN.

In an update given yesterday (July 1), Vodafone said it has deployed its 4G network to more than 400 rural locations across the UK.

"Our mission is to make sure no part of the UK is left behind," said Andrea Donà, chief network officer, Vodafone UK.

“This is why we continue to invest millions in our rural network, so that customers living, working and visiting rural locations will benefit from a strong voice signal and fast data speeds.