Modernising Network Infrastructure Across a Geographically Complex Public Sector Estate

One of the UK’s largest local authorities – spanning remote islands, rural towns, and mountainous terrain – required large scale network modernisation across 200–400+ sites with highly variable infrastructure readiness.

Challenge: A Large Scale Network Across Remote and Rural Locations

The council’s estate across hundreds of sites with highly variable infrastructure readiness presented unique logistical and technical challenges.

Geographic Complexity
- Travel to remote islands and rural communities required careful planning and flexible resourcing.
Ageing Network Infrastructure
- Switches, routers, firewalls, and Wi‑Fi equipment required full refresh across schools and council buildings.
Limited On‑Site Engineering Capacity
- The primary partner lacked sufficient field coverage to meet programme timelines.
Sensitive Environments
- School sites required CRB‑approved engineers and structured delivery processes.

The council needed a partner capable of delivering consistent, high‑quality engineering at scale — across some of the UK’s most challenging terrain.

Solution: Industrialised Field Engineering and Network Modernisation

Simplex deployed a structured, multi‑site delivery model tailored to the region’s geographic and operational constraints.

Dedicated Engineering Team
- An Inverness‑based team was deployed for 18 months to provide continuity and rapid mobilisation.
Full LAN/WAN/Wi‑Fi Modernisation
- Delivered Cisco LAN, Cisco WAN, and Cisco Meraki wireless upgrades across 200–400+ sites.
End‑to‑End Physical Deployment
- Cabling, switching, routing, firewall installation, gateway deployment, and onsite troubleshooting.
Comprehensive Wireless Surveys
- Pre‑install, validation, and post‑install surveys using Ekahau tooling.
Structured Multi‑Site Delivery Model
- Repeatable processes ensured predictable execution across diverse site types.

Outcome: A Modern, Reliable, and Scalable Network Estate

Modernised Connectivity Across 400+ Sites
- Consistent, secure, and high‑performance network infrastructure.
Accelerated Delivery Across Schools
- The 218‑school programme was completed ahead of schedule.
Strengthened Field‑Engineering Capability
- A proven model now referenced across multiple public‑sector bids.
Reliable Delivery in Challenging Locations
- Demonstrated ability to execute at scale across remote and rural environments.

The customer now operates with a modern, resilient network foundation — with Simplex as a trusted partner for complex, multi‑site public‑sector delivery.

Field Force

Technology Stack

Cisco LAN / WAN
Cisco Meraki Wireless
Aruba network components
Ekahau survey tooling

Modernising Network Infrastructure Across a Geographically Complex Public Sector Estate

Challenge: A Large Scale Network Across Remote and Rural Locations

Solution: Industrialised Field Engineering and Network Modernisation

Outcome: A Modern, Reliable, and Scalable Network Estate

Technology Stack

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