Macquarie University Law Building
Upgrade law building’s network connectivity to ensure students will benefit from future-ready technology.
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While Macquarie University is ranked as one of the top Australian universities at which to study law, lectures were previously held in a 25-year-old building that didn’t meet the needs of today’s law students. Its outdated audio-visual capabilities were particularly problematic, as Australian courts have begun accepting meetings, court cases, and legal interviews held over virtual platforms as part of the industry’s evolution based on modern technology and accessibility. For law students, learning how to present a case effectively through virtual platforms has become as important as face-to-face presentations.
When law school alumni raised funds towards a full building refurbishment, Macquarie University decided it was the ideal time to also upgrade the building’s network connectivity, allowing for scalability and ensuring law students will benefit from future-focused connectivity and technology for years to come.
With a strong focus on sustainability, the refurbished law building’s structure uses treated timber, moulded to exact specifications overseas and imported. Consequently, the project demanded meticulous planning to accommodate pre-formed penetrations for cable pathways, created in a factory rather than onsite. Since CommScope offers its partners free access to sophisticated online tools that support the design of network systems, this was no barrier to the project’s success.
Requirements
- State-of-the-art audio-visual equipment should be available throughout the building, with room to scale
- The building should be visually appealing and reflective of Macquarie University’s law program.
- The building should have a high sustainability rating in line with the university’s sustainability principles.
Solution
- Cat6a unshielded twisted pair (UTP) solution.
- Approximately 1,500 outlets and 90,000 metres (290 boxes) of Cat6a cable and single-mode fibre, including 700 metres of fibre cable and associated fibre connectivity.
Benefits
- Installation is supported by a 25-year warranty.
- Meticulous planning by EDF Systems, a CommScope PartnerPRO® network provider, ensured that the installation was seamless through the pre-formed cable pathways.
- The law building is unique, both aesthetically and architecturally, and the structured cabling is synonymous with the quality of the materials used in the building, aligning with the university’s overall vision.
- The new law building is perfectly integrated internally and with the wider campus network, ensuring that communication can be broadcast throughout the university if required.
