Case Study: Humber Bridge Communications System Upgrade
Client: Humber Bridge
Industry: Infrastructure / Transportation
Challenge:
The Humber Bridge, a critical transport link connecting East Yorkshire to North Lincolnshire, required an advanced communications solution that would ensure uninterrupted operations. The Humber Bridge needed a phone system with a high level of resilience, capable of functioning even in the event of internet connectivity failure. Given the geographical location and the operational needs of the bridge, it was crucial that the phone system would maintain reliable communication between the control room and other operational teams, even if cloud-based services were unavailable.
The primary challenge was to avoid a fully cloud-dependent solution. In the event of a loss of internet connectivity—such as during network outages or system disruptions—the bridge’s communication system must continue to operate seamlessly. Handsets located on the bridge itself needed to be able to reach the control room directly, without relying on external internet-based services.
Solution:
To meet the Humber Bridge’s requirements, we recommended and deployed the LG Ericsson UCP600 Business Communications Server, a fully hybrid solution combining the benefits of both traditional on-premise telephony and cloud-based services.
The UCP600 is a robust communications platform that integrates seamlessly into existing infrastructures and provides the flexibility of hybrid deployment. This allowed us to configure the system so that the bridge’s phone network would remain functional even in the event of a lost internet connection.
Key features of the solution include:
- Hybrid Flexibility: The UCP600 is capable of supporting both traditional on-premise telephony and cloud-based services, enabling the bridge to maintain local communication resilience.
- Resilient Communication: The system ensures that handsets located on the bridge are still able to contact the control room directly, even if the internet goes down. This is achieved through local processing power within the UCP600 unit itself, allowing the bridge’s operations to continue without interruption.
- High Availability and Fault Tolerance: The UCP600 features built-in redundancy and fault tolerance, ensuring that communication links remain stable even in adverse conditions.
- Scalability: The system is highly scalable, allowing for easy expansion should additional communication lines or features be required in the future.
- Cost-Effectiveness: By blending both on-premise and cloud capabilities, the solution offers the flexibility and resilience the Humber Bridge needed, while avoiding the potential risks and costs of being fully reliant on cloud infrastructure.
Implementation:
The installation of the LG Ericsson UCP600 involved a careful integration process, considering the existing infrastructure and specific needs of Humber Bridge. Our team worked closely with the bridge’s management to ensure that the transition to the new system was seamless and did not impact daily operations.
The UCP600 was installed with the appropriate number of handsets and connectivity points across the bridge and control room. We also implemented monitoring and support systems to ensure optimal performance and quick resolution in case of any issues.
Outcome:
The new communications system has significantly enhanced the resilience of Humber Bridge’s operations. Key benefits include:
- Uninterrupted Communication: The hybrid solution ensures that even during internet connectivity outages, the bridge’s communication systems remain operational, with local communication being routed through the UCP600.
- Improved Reliability: With a fault-tolerant system in place, the bridge has seen improved reliability in its communications, ensuring that the control room and operations staff can always stay in touch, regardless of external factors.
- Enhanced Flexibility: The hybrid nature of the solution gives Humber Bridge flexibility, allowing them to take advantage of both on-premise and cloud-based features, depending on the situation and needs.
Conclusion:
The LG Ericsson UCP600 Business Communications Server provided the Humber Bridge with a highly resilient, hybrid telephony solution that addressed the specific requirements of their operational environment. The system has proven to be reliable, offering uninterrupted communication capabilities between the bridge and the control room, even during internet disruptions. This solution ensures the continuity of critical operations, enhancing the overall resilience and efficiency of the Humber Bridge’s communication infrastructure. This solution also merged different communications platforms onto one place thus less IT administration and a more seamless experience for the customer.