Three adds extra layer of secure connectivity at University of Galway

University of Galway turned to Three Ireland to deliver an extra layer of resilience for its on-campus wifi system. “Communication is central to us,” says University of Galway chief operating officer John Gill, who points out that the university serves more than 19,000 students and 2,600 staff and has links to more than 1,300 universities across the globe.

With so many people coming and going, serving an ever-changing campus population is a constant challenge. “When everyone, or nearly everyone is on campus, it gets busy,” he explains.

The university already had fixed-line wifi in place, but decided that an extra layer of secure connectivity was needed. “The critical importance of remaining connected meant that additional resilience was required,” says Gill.

Wireless 5G broadband was identified as a solution to support the existing fixed wifi system and help avoid the potentially catastrophic scenario where the campus would have to operate without wifi.

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“We cannot operate effectively without an online presence,” Gill explains. “We can’t communicate with each other. We can’t communicate effectively with our students and the academic community cannot communicate effectively internationally.”

He also notes that technology is at the core of the student experience on a modern university campus. It helps people to connect, form friendships, and develop the lifelong connections that are integral to the University of Galway experience.

“It’s easy to get caught up in the bits and the bytes discussion, but it’s the softer benefits and the intangibles that are really meaningful,” Gill explains.

Having identified the need for additional connectivity, Gill contacted Ken McGrath, Three’s head of public sector sales. McGrath visited the university the following day to carry out site and technical surveys. A day later, the new wireless 5G broadband service was up and running.

“This all sits on Three’s 5G infrastructure and the capacity and experience are there for the users,” says McGrath.

Ten-times faster than its predecessor 4G technology, 5G is a realistic option for individuals and businesses who need high-speed broadband connectivity, either as a backup for fixed-line solutions or as an alternative to them.

The speeds offered by Three’s 5G network can equal those available from fixed-line networks. The network topped the rankings in the Ookla Speedtest Awards for Ireland for the first half of 2022 with an overall speed score of 195.05 and median download speeds of 217.38Mbps and median upload speeds of 21.03Mbps.

“I was pleasantly surprised at the speed at which the campus was surveyed, and a solution was designed,” says Gill. “The solution was immediately effective. The experience of moving between networks is seamless. Those on campus can now move between wireless 5G broadband and fixed wifi without interruption. What’s more, users move between the two without even realising. It builds and adds to what we already have.”

That success is due to the relationship between the university and Three which has been built over many years, Gill adds. “Three acted as our partner, taking the time to understand the diverse nature of our operation and have worked with us to design a solution rather than a traditional vendor focused only on the transaction,” he points out.

This sentiment is echoed by McGrath. “The relationship goes beyond technology,” he says. “While that’s important, the relationship and trust that goes with it is what we’re passionate about.”

The new 5G broadband wifi solution was not only cost effective, but also easy to procure. “From an operational management perspective, the devices operate using mobile sim cards and appear as additional mobile phones on our bill, which facilitates our cost management,” he says.

The university now has additional network capacity and resilience in its wifi network. The wireless 5G broadband also allows for the fixed wifi network to be taken offline to facilitate maintenance activities.

Unforeseen uses for Three’s 5G broadband have also been found. “The solution allows us to increase the wifi capacity in certain parts of our campus to support academic conferences and other critical events such as student open days,” says Gill.

“From a Three perspective, it’s exciting to see how this has evolved,” says McGrath. “The university is finding multiple ways maximise the benefits of the Three 5G broadband solution.”

It also sets the university up for the future, Gill adds. “The university environment is continually changing. This increases the reliance on our network from the perspectives of both resilience and capacity. Superfast and reliable 5G broadband enables us to accommodate change and sets the university up for the exciting developments to come.”