This month, we begin preparations for upgrading our network infrastructure. The project – Network Refresh – takes place over the next three years and is an important investment to support our future education and research capabilities, as well as our sustainability aims.
Fundamentally, the project is a phased replacement of our network equipment and wireless access points, which enables students and staff to connect to our IT network and internet. Replacing our current equipment is necessary (as it is reaching end-of-life) and this new network infrastructure will serve as a key foundation to our upcoming Digital Strategic Plan. It will also allow us to support our growing student numbers, student experience plans, and world-leading research.
This new network infrastructure will bring a number of benefits to the University:
- Wifi 7 technology, supporting a ‘wifi first’ model, allowing staff to work more flexibly across our campuses with improved wifi performance, coverage and reliability
- An improved ability to resist and respond to cyber security threats
- Improved energy efficiency and a more granular control over energy usage
- “Network bubbles” in halls of residence, giving our students new inter-user and inter-device connectivity options
Please check the Network Refresh SharePoint site for a full breakdown of the benefits that this new network infrastructure will bring, as well as project timelines, FAQs and more.
Over the next few months, students and staff may notice contractors carrying out surveying through our buildings and across our campuses. We aim to carry out this surveying with minimum disruption and will be in touch with building managers and other staff to arrange access.
If you have any questions about the project, please first check the FAQs on the SharePoint site. If your question is not answered, please contact the project team.
We appreciate your co-operation on this important project and look forward to sharing more details with you soon.
Your iSolutions team