COMMUNICA | Issue Four
Cambridge is known for its
magnificent college grounds which
are tucked away behind ancient oak
doorways - below, Christ’s College,
which was established in 1437.
The GBN is continuing to expand, with around 4km
being added last year (2016), and the University has
ambitions to extend out into the surrounding areas
circling the city centre.
“Not many people know that the network is also
available to members of the public who are able
to use the connection across various parts of
Cambridge to surf the internet on their wireless
devices,” said Ritchie.
“Laying new duct and pulling fibres does require a
lot of capital investment, and working within a busy
historic city centre with a medieval street layout does
have its own issues, but the University is 808 years
old and sees high capital expenditure as no reason
to invest in a high-quality asset over the long-term.
“Owning your own network simply allows you to do
things that you couldn’t do otherwise, and it gives
the University complete flexibility in providing its
members access to a world class facility.”
John Henry Group has been working with the
University for about eight years, building a number
of network extensions, which are growing in size and
number each year.
“It has been a learning curve for both John Henry
Group and GBN because the nature and location
of the works bring very unique circumstances, from
excavating through beautifully manicured lawns to
managing the throngs of bicycle traffic that come
from University sites every ten to the hour (lecture
time finish),” explains John Henry Group project
manager Jamie Harris, who has been overseeing
the works on the GBN in the city.
“John Henry Biscomm also pulls many of the
GBN fibre cables and often get a different view of
Cambridge than the tourists normally do as the
network runs through some extraordinary places,
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with the college wine cellars a particular highlight.
“The University of Cambridge is a fantastic client to
work with and over the years we have certainly seen
some fantastic parts of Cambridge during various
projects we have worked on.
“Cambridge is a unique city and there are many
great sights tucked away behind the open and
closed doors of its colleges - it’s clear that the
University itself is fantastic at combining its massive
history with its forward thinking visions of the future
by rolling out and activating this sort of network.
“It really has been a privilage for John Henry Group
to be involved with this forward thinking project.”
The editor would like to thank the University
of Cambridge for access to pictures and
information and Ritchie Carter, Granta Backbone
Manager for taking the time to support John
Henry COMMUNICA.
“It’s clear that the university
itself is fantastic at combining
its massive history with this
forward thinking vision”