The masts were flown in by helicopter to the remote location during the May bank holiday weekend.
Alasdair Allan, the MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, has welcomed the new investment in his constituency during a visit to the new masts that were built to improve mobile connectivity in the area.
Allan was updated on Virgin Media O2’s progress in building more than 35 sites in Na h-Eileanan an Iar as part of the Shared Rural Network (SRN) programme.
The upgrades will provide better mobile connectivity in not-spots and areas of patchy signal. They will also provide residents, businesses and visitors with faster and more reliable mobile connectivity.
Currently, more than 20 per cent of the area lacks 4G coverage, with signal blackspots creating an issue for local people and visitors alike. The SRN upgrade programme will help tackle this, providing essential connectivity to people in not-spots such as this.
Allan said, "I am delighted to see further Virgin Media O2 investment in my constituency that will help ensure that my constituents have access to reliable mobile connectivity. Rural areas like Uist have previously been at a disadvantage when it comes to connectivity, so there is no doubt that these upgrades will have a significant impact."
"It is fantastic to see how the company is bringing mobile coverage to this beautiful part of the world, which will have a positive impact for the businesses, residents, and visitors to the area. I believe that Virgin Media O2 is really setting an example of how to properly invest in rural networks."
Paul Steele, councillor South Uist, said, "Connectivity is so important to island living. With the population of Uist so spread out, it means that people across the islands can connect with each other more easily. On top of this, we are hoping to attract more people to live here, and increased connectivity certainly makes it a more attractive proposition."
Jeanie York, chief technology officer at Virgin Media O2, said, "We are absolutely committed to bringing reliable mobile coverage to even more rural communities across the UK, having built or upgraded more sites than any other operator as part of the Shared Rural Network programme. This work is absolutely vital in closing the urban-rural digital divide that exists in the UK."
Allan’s visit came after Virgin Media O2 announced that it had built or upgraded a landmark 150 company-managed SRN sites.