Framlingham Technology Centre Leads The Fibre Optic Pack

One example is the Suffolk based Framlingham Technology Centre, which since it opened its doors in 2001, has actively embraced technological innovation.  So it came as no surprise when it opted for a fibre networking solution to support increasingly bandwidth-hungry applications being run by its clients.

The Centre knew from the onset that its cutting-edge clients – typically innovative IT companies - required a network that eliminated network security and data corruption concerns.  At the same time, these users needed a network that provided them with a freedom to move their technological capabilities ahead of competing businesses and in terms of sheer volume, nothing can beat fibre optic cabling.  Although fibre is often perceived to be more expensive than copper, the Centre carried out some research and found that Volition fibre cabling system from 3M provided an affordable end-to-end, fibre to the desk system, one that was cost competitive compared with copper.

The Centre now has a firm foundation for today’s converging technologies, such as streaming video and real-time communications.  It has also saved itself time and money along the way by utilising Volition fibre cabling system, investing in technology that lasts well into the future.

About the Centre
The Technology Centre is the brain child of Tony Stockman, head of local award winning design consultancy Minima Design and co-founder of Miniflex, which specialises in fibre optic protection systems. The Centre has been described as the county’s first independent business ‘hothouse’, home to a number of cutting edge technology start ups that want all the benefits of a state of the art infrastructure, but away from the rat race and without the hefty costs associated with being based in London.

Stockman worked with a syndicate of local businessmen and authorities, including English Partnerships to establish the Centre. The 18,000 square feet development has been assisted with local, regional, national and European funding. It prides itself on the state of the art facilities it can offer businesses in what is primarily a market town and rural area.

The Centre’s 21 tenants, for example, benefit from dedicated broadband Internet access, digital connections, networked digital printers, smartboards, a presentation theatre and video conferencing facilities.

At the same time, businesses are helped to grow and innovate.  Via the Centre, Business Link for Suffolk provides Business Support Counsellors whose remit is to advise on sources of funding for project development, for example.

Why fibre
Stockman is adamant that the fibre system it installed several years ago has aided the centre in becoming the creative force it is today, but he admits getting over the first hurdle in its installation was not easy.  “So many suppliers tried to put us off, saying fibre was not the way forward for a Centre like ours,” he explained. “Luckily, as we had experience of fibre optics through our Minima and Miniflex companies, we knew it would provide us with networking flexibility into the future, so we were not going to be swayed”.

“We took into consideration present and future performance and bandwidth demands and there was no contest”, said Stockman. “As well as speed, we also needed to guarantee consistent quality of clients’ data transmission so fibre was the only answer”.

Once Stockman and his team had rubber-stamped their decision to go with fibre, the next step was to find a suitable supplier.  “I had previous experience of 3M, it was leading the pack in fibre optic networking and had a tried and tested product in 3M Volition”, he explained. “I knew it could provide us with a very comprehensive solution, which was paramount”.

“3M Volition had the bandwidth we wanted and offered the best price in bringing fibre to the desk,” explained Stockman. This internal bandwidth is a good match for the organisation’s external bandwidth capabilities.  The Centre offers Internet access via leased lines and DSL (broadband copper) lines. “3/400Mb files now routinely go out of here, because there is more data around and clients demand speed.  Our foresight in fibre has been extremely valuable in being able to easily upgrade to satisfy client demands,” Stockman explained. Alongside this the Centre offers a Virtual Private Network facility, enabling tenants to access their network from anywhere in the world.

Working with Cambridge Online
Stockman and his team chose to work with Cambridge Online, an experienced provider of value added IT and supporting services, to install its fibre network. “We had already opted for 3M fibre, but we were not getting the dedicated service we wanted from other installation companies who were dubious that fibre was the best way for us. Cambridge Online, on the other hand, gave us a next day quote and started the project two days later” enthused Stockman.

“Cambridge Online was extremely pro-active, quick and cost effective, all the final details were ironed out at an early stage and the whole process was trouble free and very straightforward,” he said. “The great advantage of 3M Volition fibre is it is very easy to install and extremely reliable”.

Installation benefits
The Volition fibre cabling system could be installed without having to remodel extensively the Centre.  Longer cable runs permit collapsed backbone architecture and network design flexibility.  With a three to one signal attenuation advantage over copper, the system can also move data over longer distances throughout the building.

Cambridge Online was set up in 1978 and is an experienced provider of value-added IT solutions. It offers a complete installation service encompassing voice, data and power systems, as well as legacy technologies.  The company’s own team of trained engineers and consultants provides a complete in-house design, installation and support package. It prides itself on the fact that it offers a bespoke service on all its fibre installations, with expansion an inbuilt prerequisite.

All fibre testing is carried out with Cambridge Online’s own calibrated test equipment, with either stabilised light source and power meters (LS+PM) or high resolution triple window optical time domain reflectometers (OTDR) for performance checked against standards optical flux budgets.  This is an important point, because without adequate pre-testing, it is hard for any installer to guarantee the quality of the cabling system, yet testing is not carried out as a standard procedure by all manufacturers and installers.

Paul Wheeler, Network Infrastructure Consultant for Cambridge Online said the focus of its brief was in future proofing Framlingham Technology Centre. “All our fibre installations are tailored to individual’s current network requirements with expansion and future proofing built in to the overall all design and in this case it was achieved via the client’s choice: Volition fibre cabling system to the desk”.  The fibre network was integrated with Miniflex’s fibre optic protection system, which protects from the potential hazards of mishandling fibres during installation, maintenance and upgrades. The Centre has now had its network upgraded twice since it was initially installed.

Wheeler said that due to the relatively small size of the Framlingham building, it was able to utilise standard two core fibre horizontal 3M fibre cabling from the communications room to the desktop, without exceeding any international cabling standards. The cable’s construction incorporates strength members that enable cables to be pulled under tension, without being damaged. The small size of the cable made it easy for Cambridge Online to install the system, within the confines of the building design.  The site required approximately four and a half kilometres of cabling to connect up 65 desks.

“Upgrading has been easy: we have never had to tweak upgrades and there are no high maintenance costs,” explained Stockman, who said he would recommend fibre to anyone looking to future proof the cabling requirements of a building the size of Framlingham.

Looking at the future
Next on the Centre’s shopping list is an upgrade to Gigabit Ethernet. “Fibre gives you virtually unlimited bandwidth and the beauty is that it is robust and designed to be expanded, re-used and re-arranged,” explained Stockman.

The Centre’s fibre networking solution is also used to deliver broadband to the wider community. Anyone within a 10 mile radius of the Centre can get broadband access through Fram Broadband, the Framlingham Community Wireless Broadband project.  The Centre acts as one of seven base stations for broadband coverage.

Stockman is proud that the Centre is helping rejuvenate the area. “Our vision to deliver a fibre-to-the-desk network - free from the constraints of bandwidth for years to come - has not only helped local companies in inventive hi-tech disciplines, but the community as a whole in addressing the decline in traditional rural economies.”