Broadband & Mobile Availability for Highland
Official Broadband and Mobile Statistics for 2024
Highland shows a noticeable shortfall in Ultrafast (Full Fibre) access. The 48.2% coverage is well below the 70% national benchmark (Sep 2025). 5G geographic reach is considerably limited at just 16.28%, placing Highland in the lowest tier of national investment compared to the 62% average (Sep 2025).
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Broadband Network Coverage for Highland
| Broadband Type | Availability | Avg Download Speed | Avg Upload Speed |
|---|---|---|---|
Ultrafast (Above 300 Mbit/s) | 48.2% | 990 Mbps | 423 Mbps |
Superfast (Below 100 Mbit/s) | 37.1% | 63 Mbps | 18.9 Mbps |
Standard (Below 30 Mbit/s) | 13.4% | 19.7 Mbps | 2.4 Mbps |
Below USO (Below 10 Mbit/s) | 7.3% | 5.7 Mbps | 1.2 Mbps |
Source: Ofcom Connected Nations data, (July 2024). Some data may be overlapping or lacking accuracy
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Mobile Network Coverage & Non-Spots
Future-Ready Signal
45.7% below UK average
This shows the percentage of land area covered by at least one 5G network. The score of 16.28% is significantly below the national average (62%), indicating limited 5G investment to date.
Reliable 4G Coverage
43.4% below UK average
This critical score shows the percentage of Highland's land area where all four major networks provide a dependable 4G signal. At 52.59%, there are notable mobile ‘not-spot‘ coverage gaps.
Basic 3G Safety Net
56.4% below UK average
This indicates the reliability of the basic signal across the entire region (as of July 2024). At 42.72%, the safety net for basic calls shows some gaps.
- 3G is being phased out by most operators, making its coverage minimal and its use declining. Presence seems to be limited in rural areas.
- Coverage varies significantly, with rural areas having much lower 4G and 5G availability than urban areas.
- The percentage of 5G connections is growing rapidly, while the percentage of 4G connections is decreasing and overtaken more often.