University of Northampton Multi-site Hytera Radio System

Multi-site Hytera Radio system for the University of Northampton

Reliable communication and secure two-way radio systems are critical to keeping the educational sites, their staff and pupils, safe and protected.

“The Hytera Digital Solution offered our Estates, Facilities and Security Teams an enhanced clarity and reliability of communication; upgrading from our analogue system has enhanced the service for our staff in these areas.”, says the Security Manager at the University of Northampton, Lee Johnson.

This improvement in communication has been achieved by using such two-way radio systems, as:

Who We Are?

DCRS has been working with two-way radio and other communication system sales and hire for over 35 years. Being considered the UK’s leading radio supplier, we have acquired expertise across many different industries and fields, which help us highly tailor our radio solutions to fit different needs. Such services have been provided to our clients from the University of Northampton. Our radio engineers have listened to the challenges the university was facing with their old communication systems and managed to provide them with the perfect radio and repeater solutions, ensuring they can easily stay connected without having to worry about unreliable signals and transmissions.

The common communication challenge

Located in the East Midlands, the University of Northampton has two campuses which are less than two miles apart – Avenue Campus and Park Campus and halls of residence which are located 5 miles away in the town centre. Estates, Facilities and Security required a connection to be made between all sites to give them one fluid, reliable solution to allow them to be contacted 24/7, ensuring that the whole of the perimeter is covered by a strong signal.

Effective communication between teams and locations to ensure student and staff safety was of the top priority in the brief from the University. Especially since they had to organise a relocation project in 2018, having to move into a new, purpose-built, Waterside Campus, located in the town centre, which has made keeping strong communication more difficult. Therefore, the university had to ensure that the new two-way radio solution will be reliable and secure, as well as cost-effective, which was a key component of the project.

Background: The start of the project

DCRS understands how crucial strong and secure communication systems are to keep educational sites safe and well-organised.

“Until recently, the University used an all-analogue system, components of which were many years old and struggling with the increase in coverage requirements”. Daniel Scotney, Sales Manager, DCRS, “We needed to upgrade the whole communications system, and it was vital that the entire footprint was covered with a radio solution that would support them with very clear, consistent and secure communications”.

The multi-site campus needed a supervisory channel that would provide the flexibility for critical security officers and related personnel to communicate during times of crisis. Of course, because such emergencies can arise at any time, it was also critically important that the migration from analogue to digital proceeded smoothly and quickly because even brief downtime could put the sites at risk.

The connectivity solution

Our Radio Sales Manager was sent to work with the University to determine their needs, assess the options, and help the Northampton University team make the right choices, to ensure a smooth transition while transferring from their two-way radio systems to the new communication solution. Because HYTERA and their Smart Dispatch application were still relatively new solutions, it was also important to provide the University with a hands-on demonstration, so they could get a sense of how much HYTERA could improve and make their communication processes much easier and more reliable.

The demonstration has left the University of Northampton impressed with the products and the cost savings these solutions offered. HYTERA supports a lower cost of ownership compared to analogue systems because fewer repeaters are required: two voice channels are utilised in one 12.5kHz frequency channel, so only one repeater is needed for every two voice or data paths.

Considering all factors, the University concluded that “we could replace our old system with this higher quality solution at a reasonable cost.” Showing that radio systems for educational sites can be both: high-quality and price-friendly.

Hytera PD6 Series

Two-way radio systems for universities

Higher education sites strongly benefit from having well-established communication systems. It ensures the safety and swift sharing of information between staff members, helping them respond to any unpredicted events or emergencies.

At DCRS we offer a plethora of two-way radio systems perfect for universities. From extremely durable – Motorola Solutions, all the way to more budget-friendly, yet highly reliable Kirisun Systems, which provide such features as Lone Worker and Emergency transmission, increasing the safety of anyone working in the premises, be it security personnel or management.

To find out more about the two-way radio systems we offer for educational sites, enquire or call the DCRS team today.