Leave no trace

3 September 2025

What happens when a mast site is no longer needed?

We rely on local land owners to let us locate our equipment so it can serve customers. There is always a conversation about ‘what happens when you no longer need to be there; what mess will I have to clear up?’
 
We’ve not really had to decommission any sites until recently; this location was high up in the Moorfoots, difficult to reach and prone to damage in storms.

The turbine and panels had been replaced more times than we’d like, so when Openreach brought fibre to the properties that had been served by it, we worked with our customers to switch them to fibre.

The mast location was kept for a year to provide a backup service - FTTP isn’t immune to having problems, especially when it’s only been recently installed. Once we were happy that it really could be taken away, we started the process of decommissioning. The work itself was challenging - kit that had been taken up the hill over the years had accumulated; there were quite a few trips up and down with the quads. Fortunately we’ve had a good summer, so the ground was relatively dry.

The end result - a small patch of ground where the battery box had been sitting - but the grass will quickly regrow. No concrete, no steel left to rust.
 
Hopfully this goes some way to show how Borders Online operate on the hills we are fortunate to be able to use - with respect for your land and the environment in general.

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