Telstra has revealed that it will lead the “global” network modernisation of the Royal Opera House. The project is part of a wider digitalisation plan. The first stage of this project will see Telstra unify the different ROH’s networks to provide a unified fixed wireless network service that improves performance, availability and security.
The Royal Opera House was opened in 1892 after two previous theatres were destroyed by fire. The building is now Grade 1 listed and home to both the Royal Opera Company and the Royal Ballet. It has grown to include several other locations in the UK. After a major refurbishment was completed in 1997, the organisation has continued to digitise its operations and performances.
As it looks to further modernise its operations, it needs to consolidate its networks into a single solution, allowing staff and audience access to services, both public and private. An integrated wireless solution will enable it to collaborate seamlessly and virtually with individuals and teams worldwide.
The secure network will enable teams to work virtually from any location in future productions. It will also enable ROH to produce, share and publish online performance content and materials, digitally interacting with patrons, visitors, audiences, sponsors and key industry stakeholders.
James Whitebread, Chief Technology Officer at the Royal Opera House, said, “Fuelled by the need to reduce costs, improve revenue generation and protect the security and resilience of the organisation, the Royal Opera House has embarked on widescale business and digital transformation efforts.
“Our digital transformation journey has seen significant change in the last two years and this next stage is all about providing the Royal Opera House with scalable, secure, high-performance networks that are able to meet service, stage and broadcast requirements, as well as to serve office and public spaces. Telstra is the perfect partner to deliver our next successful phase enabling us to connect and inspire communities worldwide.”
Why Telstra?
Enterprise Times also asked Telstra some questions, Matt Williams, Managing Director EMEA at Telstra Purple responded. Why did the ROH select Telstra for this deal?
“The Royal Opera House selected Telstra because of the deeply collaborative nature of the Telstra team, and an approach that effectively couples people, processes and tools to deliver great user experience, as well as reliable and resilient security of data and access.”
Telstra also demonstrated that they have delivered adaptive network solutions to other major events venues and a wide range of other organisations in the UK, EMEA and other regions, both public sector and commercial.
The project
What kind of network is Telstra implementing? Williams responded, “The new network infrastructure brings together seven wired and wireless networks, covering all public and private areas of the main site in Covent Garden and other locations in the UK. The other ROH locations are Purfleet, Farnborough (data centre), and Aberdare.
“The new network infrastructure brings together seven wired and wireless networks to tightly couple people, processes and tools, and seamlessly connect the wide range of user groups within the ROH. It will support improved user experience as well as reliable and resilient security of data and access, allowing the ROH to monitor and manage key functions such as lighting, sound, stage management, retail, and video & broadcast.”
How long will the project take?
“The design and planning of the project started in April and is expected to run until November 2023, phasing the delivery to ensure rapid delivery and maximum benefit realisation for the Royal Opera House. The ROH is a unique customer and so the support, maintenance, and licensing will continue for the next five years, ensuring that key milestones are met without interfering theatre commitments and performances.”
This is the first major project undertaken by the ROH with Telstra. Telstra hopes to expand its ROH footprint with other services and solutions such as connectivity, telephony, broadcast services, Cloud solutions, and cyber-security.
Rob Robinson, Head of Telstra Purple EMEA, said, “The Royal Opera House is an iconic institution, championing more artists than any other UK arts organisation, and a long-standing key contributor to the UK arts and culture sector. We are thrilled to be supporting the ROH in this modernisation drive and we are excited that these new developments will improve the ROH’s ability to extend access to the arts and sharing more of its world class content with audiences across the globe.”
Enterprise Times: What does this mean?
This will help deliver even better experiences for the ROH and its audiences. The new network will also help to reduce its carbon footprint with less need for travel between venues, and employees can collaborate faster online. Sustainability is as important to the ROH as other firms. It recently announced that it is using Grid Edge to create a digital twin to better understand its energy usage.
The new network will enable the ROH to trial IoT solutions, secure in the knowledge the network is in place to support this. IT support will have better visibility of network performance, enabling them to understand where coverage is low due to the varying requirements of people as they move through the ROH and other locations.
This is a good win for Telstra. It will now need to deliver on its promises. While doing so, it will need to be conscious of the Grade 1 listing of the ROH.
