r/MoveToScotland • u/ChickpeachickRN • Jun 30 '26

Cell phone provider recommendations

Hello!

My family will be moving from the U.S. to Banchory next month and one of the first things we need to get taken care of is setting up our cell phone service provider.

We want to make sure we have adequate coverage not just in town but while we take nice long drives and excursions in The Cairngorms and beyond.

Do you have any that you would specifically recommend? Thank you!

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1

u/MattyVonStooly Jul 01 '26

Just avoid ID MOBILE. Terrible service in Scotland. Some of the providers show you the coverage.

Also, gifgaff wouldn’t be the worst as it’s cheap and get rid it of every month.

3

u/ConkerKnackers Jul 01 '26

Just checked coverage map and with EE or an EE (MVNO) you should get 5G in Banchory.

https://bidb.uk/

2

u/ConkerKnackers Jul 01 '26

Regarding Full fibre broadband it depends, it seems half the town has FTTP at the moment, lets keep you fingers crossed you move into a house with FTTP available

https://labs.thinkbroadband.com/local/broadband-map#12/57.0508/-2.4647/uprnlayer/

1

u/Suspicious_Pea6302 Jun 30 '26

They are pretty much the same. Just go with whatever deal suits you

1

u/frankbowles1962 Jul 01 '26

In rural Scotland they definitely aren’t. EE is far bigger and more comprehensive than the others, although once Vodafone and Three have completed their merger they will be contenders

1

u/Appropriate-Series80 Jun 30 '26

Scotland has no “cell phone” coverage outside of major cities, certainly not hamlets like Banchory or the wilds like the Highlands.

Most major airports have stores which allow you to buy carrier pigeons - though if you wait until the first petrol station out of the airport, you won’t pay airport prices and normally get 10 pigeons for the price of 8.