Renewables field teams need phones and tablets on the network with the best coverage at their sites, rugged devices where equipment gets dropped or rained on, and central management through a tool like Microsoft Intune so lost devices can be locked and wiped. They also need a reliable way to stay in touch when working alone, and one business number that reaches them wherever they are.
What's different about field teams in renewables?
Installers and engineers spend their days on rooftops, in fields and at substations, often in rural areas with patchy signal. Their devices hold site drawings, permits, photos, customer details and access to monitoring portals. A wrong network, a cracked screen or a lost phone costs a wasted trip, or worse, a data breach.
Choose the network by coverage, not price
Coverage in rural Scotland varies widely between networks. 4G from all mobile operators covers only 67% of Scotland's landmass (Ofcom, 2025), which means the network that's best in Glasgow may be poor at your sites. Check EE, O2 and Vodafone at the places your teams actually work, and consider mixing networks across teams if your sites are spread out.
Rugged devices
Rugged phones and tablets survive dust, water and drops. They cost more up front but last longer on site. Office staff don't need them, so a mixed fleet usually makes sense.
Manage every device centrally
Every business phone and tablet should be enrolled in mobile device management. With Microsoft Intune, devices are configured before they reach the engineer, company apps and data are kept separate from personal use, updates are enforced, and a lost device can be locked or wiped remotely. When someone leaves, their access goes with them.
If engineers use their own phones, Intune app protection can secure company data in Outlook and Teams without managing the whole device.
Lone working
Many installers and engineers work alone. The HSE says employers must manage the risks before people work alone, including knowing where lone workers are, agreeing regular contact "using phones, radios, email etc", and having devices for raising the alarm. Those systems should be tested regularly.
Technology only helps if it works at the site. Check coverage before relying on a phone-based lone worker app, and have a fallback where signal is weak. There's no single right product: we recommend a lone worker app or device case by case, based on where your people work and the coverage there.
One business number
A cloud phone system lets the office number ring on a desk phone, in Teams or on an engineer's mobile, so customers and site managers reach the right person without personal numbers being shared.
Frequently asked questions
Which mobile network is best for solar installers in Scotland?
It depends entirely on where your sites are. Coverage varies widely by network in rural Scotland, so check EE, O2 and Vodafone at your actual working locations rather than relying on national maps. Some businesses put different teams on different networks to match the areas they cover.
Can we let engineers use their own phones for work?
Yes, with controls. Microsoft Intune app protection keeps company email, Teams and files in managed apps, blocks copying data into personal apps and lets you remove company data without touching personal photos. For engineers who access monitoring portals or customer data, a company-managed device is safer.
How Indigo does this. Indigo Unified Communications supplies business mobiles on EE, O2 and Vodafone, choosing the network by checking coverage at your sites. We're a leading plan.com partner in Scotland, and plan.com's my.plan app gives you spending caps and user-level controls. We supply a large range of rugged phones and tablets and manage every device through Microsoft Intune from Glasgow. See business mobiles for renewables field teams.
Sources: HSE, Lone working: training, supervision and monitoring, https://www.hse.gov.uk/lone-working/employer/training-supervision-monitoring.htm · Ofcom, Connected Nations 2025: Scotland report, 19 November 2025, https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/coverage-and-speeds/nations-report-2025 · Microsoft, Microsoft Intune documentation, https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/intune/
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