Connect Plus Services - Blunts Farm
Connect Plus is a consortium that includes Edge Orbital Holdings Ltd, Balfour Beatty, and Egis Investment Partners – a unique partnership with a collective strength in highways maintenance and management.
Connect Plus Services (CPS) maintains and operates the M25 and all adjoining trunk and slip roads, on behalf of Highways England through a 30-year DBFO (Design, Build, Finance & Operate) contract which started in 2009.
The M25 is one of the busiest sections of road in the UK and is undoubtedly one of the most significant, carrying more than 15% of all UK motorway traffic. Blunts Farm in Essex is one of seven CPS depots located off the M25.
CPS undertakes year-round planned and reactive maintenance to its 440km network, responding to incidents, delivering a winter maintenance service from October to May, and keeping the network flowing for the thousands of daily road users.
Further Information:
https://ccsbestpractice.org.uk/case-studies/considerately-ensuring-the-smooth-running-of-the-m25-connect-plus-services-blunts-farm-depot/
https://www.connectplusm25.co.uk/connectplus/about-us/our-story/
About the M25 DBFO Concession
The Challenge
Since construction, CPS’ Blunts Farm Depot suffered from poor mobile phone signal on their corporate network, Vodafone.
This is caused by the remoteness of the site’s location, as well as the buildings’ construction materials (including steel, concrete, and Low-E glass), which block the signal from entering.
Due to the nature of the work undertaken by CPS, communication is vital. This, therefore, led to a number of operational challenges, including communication with other offices, suppliers, customers, and the community. With little to no mobile coverage, health and safety in the depot was also a concern.
The Solution
Following a detailed survey and testing period, the Boost Pro engineers designed and deployed a passive DAS to improve the corporate network within the office and warehouse areas of the depot.
Four internal dome antennas were strategically installed throughout the depot ensuring all key areas were covered.
This project leverages our license-exempt Passive DAS Industrial Signal Booster. This product benefits from:
✓ 3G / 4G / LTE Voice and Data
✓ Multi-Carrier Support with Carrier Switching
✓ Indoor / Outdoor NEMA 4 Rated
✓ Network Safe
The Results
All areas of the depot now receive full Vodafone LTE voice and data coverage
Admin, site managers, and staff can now complete vital tasks that were never possible inside the office and warehouse.
The team now benefits from health and safety, productivity, and operational advantages of being able to use mobile devices on the move within the site offices.
Our products are license-exempt and fully comply with Ofcom’s UK Interface requirement 2102 (IR2102) (UK) and ComReg S.I.No.283 of 2018 (Ireland).