Introduction
The Kings School in Canterbury, established in 1541, is possibly the oldest school in the world. Located in the historic grounds of Canterbury Cathedral, the school offers independent, boarding, and day school co-education for children aged 13-18. With a need to connect various buildings across Canterbury to the network, the school sought the expertise of MPR, a trusted provider of bespoke technology solutions.
Challenge
The nature of the school’s buildings posed a challenge, as strict planning regulations and the age of the structures required a connectivity solution that would be sympathetic to the historic environment. Additionally, the solution needed to meet the modern requirements of technical connectivity. Traditional options, such as BT optic fibre or leased line networks, were not suitable due to restrictions and costs.
Solution
MPR, known for its ability to deliver highly tailored solutions at a competitive price, was approached by The Kings School to design and implement a high-speed LAN across Canterbury. After conducting a thorough site survey, it became clear that wireless technology was the ideal solution. Point-to-point wireless technology was used to connect four different buildings together, taking into consideration factors such as an existing mobile phone infrastructure, public access, historic buildings, and a railway.
Results
As an official OFCOM registered company, MPR installed the LigoPTP 5-23 PRO at the school’s main campus within the Music Hall. This wireless link beams data over a distance of 656 meters to the Malthouse, serving as a central point. From there, two additional links were established, spanning 148 meters to the Sports Hall and 264 meters to the Cricket Pavilion. The end result is a 300 Mbps, light-licensed wireless network that is monitored centrally. The monitoring system tracks the frequency, bandwidth throughput, ambient temperature, and other key metrics.
Conclusion
In conclusion, MPR successfully addressed the unique challenges faced by The Kings School in Canterbury and provided an innovative solution to their connectivity needs. By implementing a wireless network bridge solution, MPR was able to connect multiple buildings across the city while considering the historic and architectural significance of the structures. The result was a high-speed LAN that met the school’s modern technical requirements while maintaining the integrity of the historic environment. The system, monitored from a central location, has performed as predicted, delivering a 300 Mbps wireless network. MPR’s flexible and proactive approach, combined with their expertise and quality work, has left The Kings School satisfied with their overall service. This successful case study showcases MPR’s ability to deliver compatible and tailored solutions for new build or refurbishment projects in need of a Technical Services Integrator.
Testimonial
“MPR have been flexible in their dealings with us, being willing to adjust to some unusual site environments and to coordinate parts of the installation work with our in-house technicians and premises managers. They were also proactive in contacting and liaising with a third-party provider, with whom we had to share space. They surveyed and proved the signal quality of the proposed equipment in advance of giving us a quote. Their work was of a good standard and the equipment performed as predicted. They are prompt in checking any issues to which they are alerted by the monitoring system. We are very satisfied with their overall service and would certainly consider them for future work.” – Graham Bodey, IT Manager, The Kings School
