Wow, what a great year 2023 was for Airbourne. Despite some challenging weather conditions, the air show drew large crowds and has been widely celebrated as a great success.
CloudConnX were delighted to provide connectivity for the event, enabling organisers, exhibitors and traders access to the Internet at Hyperfast speeds. Delivering services to an event such as Airbourne isn't without its challenges and we thought we'd share how we did it.
CloudConnX were delighted to provide connectivity for the event, enabling organisers, exhibitors and traders access to the Internet at Hyperfast speeds. Delivering services to an event such as Airbourne isn't without its challenges and we thought we'd share how we did it.
It began at the end of May when we found ourselves standing on the Western Lawns at Eastbourne looking at the existing broadband arrangements used by the organisers. Inside a small heavily weathered box largely concealed in a hedge, we discovered two phone lines and a broadband router.
In that moment we knew that we could improve on that and provide Airbourne the much better Internet experience that it deserved. The decision was made.
In that moment we knew that we could improve on that and provide Airbourne the much better Internet experience that it deserved. The decision was made.
Firstly, the heavily weathered box needed an upgrade. A working party was organised and our team carefully removed the existing telephone lines and equipment from the box. A new sturdy mounting frame was fabricated and planted into a robust foundation. A brand new larger secure weatherproof enclosure was then installed complete with power and access sockets for the organisers to plug their own cables into.
With the new enclosure in place, the work to get a faster connection installed could begin.
Getting a phone line or even a fibre connection installed to your business or household is pretty straightforward. Delivering an equivalent service to an uninhabited open spot on the south side of the coast road is a different matter. Although underground ducts required to accommodate a fibre cable existed on paper, the reality was somewhat different and required more work to excavate and install fresh duct. Fortunately, this was carried out at pace, after which the all important optical fibre cable was pulled through over a couple of incredibly rainy days.
With the new enclosure in place, the work to get a faster connection installed could begin.
Getting a phone line or even a fibre connection installed to your business or household is pretty straightforward. Delivering an equivalent service to an uninhabited open spot on the south side of the coast road is a different matter. Although underground ducts required to accommodate a fibre cable existed on paper, the reality was somewhat different and required more work to excavate and install fresh duct. Fortunately, this was carried out at pace, after which the all important optical fibre cable was pulled through over a couple of incredibly rainy days.
With the fibre in place, final connections into one of our main network transmission sites in Eastbourne was completed, equipment installed in the weatherproof enclosure and final configuration work done. We were ready.
And so, a few days before Airbourne, the events teams started their setup and our connection was handed over to the organisers to plug their equipment into. A few final checks with their technicians were completed and the service was live, delivered via the organiser's Wi-Fi network.
The service worked perfectly throughout the show and now forms a permanent feature for other events in that area.
The service worked perfectly throughout the show and now forms a permanent feature for other events in that area.