Norwood – Full Fibre Network Transformation

Sector

Public sector | Charity

Location

London, United Kingdom

Revenues

£50 Million

About

A Full Fibre Network Transformation

Each year Norwood supports over 2,500 people from children and families facing challenges in their lives due to additional educational needs, mental health or severe wellbeing issues, to anyone of any age with learning disabilities or autism.

Their wide-ranging services are delivered in London and the Southeast. They have a workforce of almost 2,500 people, made up of over 850 employees and more than 1,600 volunteers.

As well as employees and volunteers spread across offices and Norwood charity shops, they also manage a number of homes, including their well-known Ravenswood home – a 100-acre site in Berkshire with 400 employees supporting 112 residents with complex needs.

Outcome

Significantly improved Wi‑Fi performance and full coverage in priority buildings

Telephony stabilised with end‑to‑end 3CX remediation and fully functional voice services

Full fibre connectivity delivered at the same cost as legacy circuits

Zero‑downtime migration across critical care, telephony and cloud applications

Secure, segmented, and future‑ready network architecture aligned to best practice

Executive Summary

Norwood approached TTG after years of operational disruption caused by failing Wi‑Fi, ageing telephony, misconfigured network components and outdated circuits locked into an expired contract. TTG delivered a complete transformation: rebuilding the Ravenswood core network, deploying modern Wi‑Fi, stabilising 3CX telephony, and replacing legacy connectivity with full fibre – all delivered at the same cost as the previous circuits and with zero service interruption. Today, Norwood benefits from a resilient, secure and future‑ready infrastructure capable of supporting its digital care ambitions for years to come.

The Challange

Identifying the Barriers to Reliable Digital Care

Norwood’s technology challenges were acute, widespread and significantly impacting both staff and resident experience. Across Ravenswood and several London homes, Wi‑Fi had become unreliable to the point of obstructing basic operations. Staff frequently reported dead zones, inconsistent signal strength, and regular drop‑outs during critical Teams calls and video‑based care assessments. Slow applications hindered day‑to‑day administration, and latency spikes made cloud platforms unpredictable.

TTG’s network assessment revealed deep‑rooted issues. Legacy switches were still running at 100Mb, leaving the environment unable to meet the throughput demands of modern cloud workloads. Packet loss reached up to 43% during peak periods, severely degrading application performance. VLANs were misconfigured, forcing staff devices, phones and guest traffic onto the same network — an arrangement that created both security and performance risks. Combined with ageing wireless access points, the environment was no longer fit for purpose.

The telephony estate was suffering similar strain. Norwood’s 3CX system was experiencing continuous echo, lag and dropped calls. Staff regularly raised concerns that inbound and outbound calls were failing without warning. SBC registration issues, incorrect SIP trunk configuration and inconsistent firewall rules contributed to this instability. For an organisation delivering 24/7 support, reliable telephony is essential; the existing system was no longer meeting operational requirements.

On top of these issues, Norwood’s internet circuits were tied into an expired rolling contract. These legacy connections were based on older ISDN‑dependent infrastructure and offered no clear upgrade path. When the incumbent provider proposed moving to a modern fibre service, the costs presented were double the existing spend. For a charity with limited budgetary flexibility, such an increase would have been untenable.

The situation had become unsustainable. Staff could not rely on the network to deliver critical digital care tasks, operational teams were constrained by constant workarounds, and cloud adoption initiatives were being delayed. Norwood required a complete transformation – one that stabilised the present and prepared the organisation for the future without increasing operational expenditure.

The Solution

Legacy Infrastructure Undermining Staff Productivity

TTG delivered an end‑to‑end full fibre network transformation that addressed every layer of Norwood’s digital infrastructure. The programme began with remediation work at Ravenswood, which formed the backbone of the organisation’s network. TTG rebuilt the network foundation, replacing outdated switching with a modern core and reconstructing the topology to ensure clarity, efficiency and resilience. VLANs were correctly defined and separated, establishing clear segmentation for staff devices, guest networks and critical IoT services.

Legacy patching, unused links and outdated configuration were removed, giving Norwood complete visibility and control for the first time. Firmware, DHCP and DNS services were upgraded to improve security, consistency and performance. Bandwidth was significantly increased from 200Mb to 650Mb, ensuring capacity for growing digital service needs across the estate.

With the network stabilised, TTG modernised the wireless environment. New access points were deployed across the Ravenswood administration building and configured using best‑practice radio frequency optimisation, including power balancing, channel planning and band‑steering. TTG introduced properly segmented SSIDs for staff, operational services and guests. The team validated coverage through both heat maps and on‑site walk‑tests to ensure strong and consistent signal throughout the building. Post‑deployment results demonstrated exceptional performance, achieving download speeds over 570 Mb/s and upload speeds over 620 Mb/s — a transformation that staff immediately noticed.

Telephony stability was restored by addressing the underlying network faults while also completing a full audit and remediation of the 3CX system. TTG corrected SIP trunk settings, SBC registration, QoS configuration and firewall/NAT rules. Call flows, IVRs and emergency routing were aligned with organisational needs. Within a single day, telephony faults were resolved, restoring confidence for staff who rely on voice communication for coordination, safeguarding and emergency response.

The final component was connectivity transformation. Norwood evaluated its options for replacing legacy circuits but was confronted with a proposal from the incumbent that doubled the cost of moving to fibre. TTG secured a full fibre solution at the same price Norwood was already paying, enabling a modernisation project with no budget impact.

TTG provisioned all new full fibre circuits, handled carrier management, overseen logistics, and created a detailed cutover strategy to protect live services. The transition was executed with zero downtime, ensuring telephony, cloud applications and care services remained fully operational throughout. This approach gave Norwood a modern, resilient and scalable fibre infrastructure with no operational disruption.

 

The Success

A Full Fibre Network Transformation

Norwood now operates on a stable, high‑performance network that staff can trust. The upgraded Wi‑Fi delivers strong, consistent coverage, allowing teams to work efficiently from anywhere in key buildings. Video calls, cloud applications and care systems now function reliably, reducing frustration and improving productivity. Staff feedback has been clear: the difference is transformative.

Telephony issues, once a daily complaint, have been eliminated. Calls are clear, consistent and stable, supporting reliable communication across care teams and administration. The remediation of 3CX and improved network design ensures that voice quality remains high even during periods of peak activity.

The transition to full fibre represents a major strategic advancement. Norwood now benefits from modern, high‑bandwidth circuits delivered without any increase in cost. The zero‑downtime migration maintained service continuity, protecting resident care and organisational operations. With its new infrastructure, Norwood is equipped for future cloud adoption, assistive technology solutions and ongoing digital transformation projects.

Security has been significantly enhanced through correct network segmentation, updated firmware and improved DHCP/DNS architecture. These changes strengthen Norwood’s overall technology posture and align the organisation with modern standards for safeguarding digital services.

Looking ahead, Norwood is now poised to pursue the next stage of its digital roadmap with confidence. The full fibre network transformation has created a robust and future‑ready foundation that enables innovation, supports growth and ensures consistent service delivery across all sites

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