THE CHALLENGE
From coastal towns to Valleys’ communities on the edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park, CTMUHB covers a diverse population of nearly half a million people, a significant proportion of which are over 65. With the demands of a wide-reaching and busy network used across more than 60 sites, CTMUHB was keen to improve connections for all staff members particularly throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
The Solution
PSBA installed several Multiple Occupancy Sites (MOS) to improve connectivity for all staff members during the coronavirus pandemic. PSBA was able to set up the services within hours of the requests being issued, which instantly allowed staff to access a reliable and speedy network. CTMUHB is now safe in the knowledge that all circuits are managed by a single entity and are closely monitored.
With the MOS agreement, two (or more) eligible organisations at the same location need to have only one connection to the PSBA network, potentially reducing connection and service costs when compared to each separate organisation installing their own dedicated PSBA connection.
PSBA upgraded 16 CTMUHB sites from SDSL to FTTC last year, a move which delivered the benefit of a premium product while also producing cost-effective outcomes in the long-run. The FTTC upgrade has also enabled significantly more mobile working at the health board. PSBA’s recent installation of FTTC inside the homes of 12 radiologists enabled them to work from home more productively with dedicated lines. Due to the intensity of network traffic involved in their reporting, which often includes very large files, this upgrade enabled remote working where previously the employees’ own broadband and VPN service were insufficient. Instead, they now have dedicated lines, bringing efficiency levels at a par with those in the CTMUHB offices. This was delivered at a competitive price and facilitated a tangible increase in productivity. PSBA has modelled its new HomeWorker service on this pilot project and CTMUHB is now considering rolling this out across the health board as a secure service for additional home workers.
PSBA has also supported CTMUHB with hardware architecture, providing the engineering capability and expertise necessary to maintain high standards through upgrading all wireless infrastructure. PSBA arranged equipment replacements for the Nexus server room equipment, which manage the data centres for both Royal Glamorgan and Prince Charles hospitals, and installed and configured the Nexus switches.
PSBA’s maintenance offering has proven a cost-effective option for CTMUHB. PSBA always ensures best practice is followed and makes the most of the features and core functionality. PSBA engineers are based around core sites, so are very responsive and can play a part in combating stressful situations while keeping overhead costs at a minimum.
Looking Ahead
PSBA is now looking at refreshing and rationalising the firewalls at both Royal Glamorgan and Prince Charles hospitals to increase bandwidth capabilities, upgrade hardware and throughput capabilities, as well as providing separation to increase resilience. CTMUHB has also expressed an interest in PSBA’s Public Access Wi-Fi service, having been using an alternative supplier solution until now. PSBA can offer a solution at a more competitive price to deliver Wi-Fi to the 3,500 to 5,000 users that can be online at any one time. All of this, in addition to the added benefit of PSBA Roaming, ensures seamless and secure network connectivity for almost 12,000 CTMUHB staff members and makes for an extremely positive customer experience.
PSBA has been a positive experience.
As a principal, it’s excellent, easy to use,
has one number for queries and we
have a strong relationship with the team.
It’s delivered significant benefits.
Neil Robinson,
Network Manager
How it Helped
A ‘one stop shop’ approach
Consultancy support for technical resource,
design and configuration, as well as high and
low level design
All circuits managed by a single entity
Reliable network
This meant
Fewer connection issues
Increased productivity
Peace of mind
Value for money
