Telecommunications Infrastructure Upgrade Update Winter Quarter 2019

TIU to Date

The Telecommunications Infrastructure Upgrade (TIU) phase C work at the Arts Division complex and the Crown-Merrill colleges is almost complete. This effort by ITS, in partnership with Physical Planning and Construction (PP&C), upgraded 66 academic and administrative buildings to provide greater network reliability, higher network speeds, more wireless coverage, and the voice and data telephone systems were converged into one voice over internet protocol (VoIP). Once the last phase of TIU work is complete, (Sept. 2021) every UCSC building on and off campus will have been upgraded.

What is TIU?

UCSC developed a ten-year telecommunications master plan in 2011 to upgrade the campus communications infrastructure to provide greater reliability and less down time, higher networking speeds, more extensive wireless coverage, and converge the voice and data telephone system into voice over Internet protocol (VoIP).

The Four Phases

The project is divided into four geographic areas and implemented in phases A through D. In each area, ITS is augmenting the telecommunication cabling, hardware, and supporting infrastructure (such as conduit, cabinets, tower or poles). Inside each building, the wire and network equipment are bring upgraded and voice services and network is converging over a single wall jack. New campus telephones are also being installed.

Nearing Completion

Phase A and B are complete and Phase C will be complete in April 2019. ITS will move to the final Phase D with a targeted completion of September 2021.

Partnership

In order to achieve these upgrades and achieve the telecommunications plan, Information Technology Services (ITS) and Physical Planning and Construction (PP&C) joined efforts in 2011, with PP&C managing the capital construction portion and ITS managing the technology related construction upgrades. It's been an extremely important and valuable partnership.