Precision Health Technologies Accelerator – Birmingham University

Simpli-Fi was commissioned to enhance the Mobile Connectivity at the Precision Health Technologies Accelerator (PHTA), a part of the larger Birmingham Health Innovation Campus (BHIC).

The Precision Health Technologies Accelerator (PHTA) is a business innovation facility that will soon occupy No.1 BHIC – the flagship building of the ambitious Birmingham Health Innovation Campus, which is being delivered in partnership with Bruntwood SciTech.

Providing approximately 70,000 square feet of state-of-the-art incubation and collaboration space, PHTA is a catalyst for health and life science businesses to succeed.

Solution

Simpli-Fi deployed the Cel-Fi Quatra 4000e system, which provided all four major UK networks throughout the PHTA building. This resolved the issue of poor mobile signal coverage.

Simpli-Fi’s solution ensured uninterrupted connectivity, meeting the University of Birmingham’s technology requirements.

Results

After implementing Simpli-Fi’s Cel-Fi solution, the mobile signal coverage, which was non-existent before the system went live, now provides excellent coverage on all major networks across the building. Staff, businesses, and visitors now enjoy uninterrupted connectivity, boosting productivity and communication.

This underscores the accelerator’s commitment to fostering innovation and collaboration. 

Challenges

During the design and construction of the new PHTA building at the University of Birmingham, the project and design team proactively recognised the potential for poor mobile signal coverage due to the building’s design and materials. Anticipating this poor mobile signal coverage, the project management team divided the project into two phases. These were the initial cabling and then the final installation of equipment to bring the project to its completion.

This approach seamlessly aligned with other construction schedules. As construction progressed, the sealing of windows confirmed the predicted signal challenges, which verified the need to address the coverage issues during the construction phase.