The new Wide Area Network (WAN) solution will provide the data communications technology required to support council services – from basic telephony and email, through to core business systems. The migration onto the MLL Telecom network is scheduled to commence early 2019.
The WAN will completely replace South Ayrshire’s legacy wireless network infrastructure to deliver a fully managed network service. Schools in particular will benefit from enhanced bandwidth and a more reliable service. An additional key benefit of the new WAN will be the ability to deliver additional and cost effective connectivity for infrastructure services such as traffic lights, CCTV and public WiFi over the new core network.
The council has awarded MLL Telecom a five-year contract, and the company states that this decision was “based on its commitment to enhancing connectivity, as well as its ability to deliver a highly reliable, flexible and scalable service designed to meet and exceed the council’s objectives at a reduced cost”.
Councillor Peter Henderson, resources and performance portfolio holder for South Ayrshire council said: “We’re working to ensure our customers can access services reliably, and at a time that suits them. Our new contract with MLL Telecom is the first step to help achieve this ambition, as it will bring our ICT communications bang up to date with faster and more reliable voice and data connections, improved security, and systems which can adapt to changing customer needs. These improvements will also allow us to upgrade Wi-Fi access for schools, customers and council staff, and replace outdated and costly technologies such as radio systems and hard-wired CCTV cameras.”
“Having grown up in Ayr, I know first-hand the challenges that South Ayrshire communities face as a result of poor network infrastructure,” said Ross Duke, technology director at MLL Telecom. “It’s time that the ageing infrastructure is brought into the future and is able to support the council’s digital transformation plans. We’ll be combining our experience as a managed service provider to the public sector and demonstrating our ability to provide a resilient, reliable and secure solution to upgrade a network that is no longer fit for purpose.”
MLL Telecom has pledged to help develop new opportunities for the South Ayrshire community. This includes a commitment to improving local education, employability and developing new skills for citizens as part of its apprenticeship scheme and ongoing recruitment of local engineers. Council-nominated charities will also benefit from ongoing fundraising led by MLL Telecom.
