Case Study

Fay School Completes Phase II of Fiber Optic Cabling Upgrade

Structured Cabling Installation at Fay School

Client: Fay School

Location: Southborough, MA

Technology: Communications Infrastructure – Structured Cabling

Sector: Education

Lifecycle Phases Showing KTS Involvement:

Plan

Design

Install

Service

Solutions implemented by KTS:

Infrastructure

Wireless

Security

Audio Visual

Cellular BDA

The IT leaders at the Fay School recognized that their communications backbone needed upgrading for reliable connectivity. They worked with KTS to phase the effort over two years and two budget cycles.

The Work

Phase I was completed in 2022 when KTS installed single-mode, fiber-optic cabling throughout the west side of the Fay School campus. Read about Phase I here.

In the summer of 2023, KTS returned to Fay School to complete Phase II, the second part of the planned upgrade to single-mode fiber on the east side of campus.

KTS incorporated expansion capabilities in each side of the campus. When identifying conduits, it was discovered that one building did not have a connecting conduit to the rest. KTS connected a building on the East Campus to unused fiber from the West Campus, ensuring network connectivity in all buildings.

The east side of the campus required running approximately 2,500 feet of cabling; the KTS team cabled this distance with as many straight runs and as few splices as possible.

Phase II of the fiber optic structured cabling upgrade installation extended through eight campus buildings and 13 data closets. Six strands of the single-mode fiber run continuously from one end of the campus to the other and are redundant, allowing for future demand on the campus.

KTS repurposed the old network fiber to independently support the campus-wide fire alarm system.

Challenges

Identification of all the conduits between campus buildings was essential to define where cabling would be run. This effort was particularly challenging as there were no drawings or blueprints to assist the KTS team in locating the conduits. KTS identified the conduits by hand, with assistance from several school employees who provided insight into the infrastructure of some of the school’s buildings.

Identifying conduits by hand required exploring dark basement areas and data closets, but the experienced KTS professionals identified the conduits throughout eight buildings and 13 data closets to successfully install the structured cabling upgrade.

Benefits/Impact

With Phase II completed, the entire campus of the Fay School has been upgraded with single-mode fiber optic cabling as the backbone of their communications network, supporting current demand and designed to scale to support future needs. KTS completed both phases under budget and earlier than estimated. Being able to repurpose the OM1 multi-mode fiber to support the fire alarm system improved campus safety.