The British Library has upgraded the Wi-Fi network at central building in St Pancras, London, as part of a £1.7 million contract extension with internet of things service provider North.
The company has replaced 126 access points in the building to comply with the Wi-Fi 6 standard, which is designed to improve throughput-per-area in high density settings.
North said the move will help to future proof the library’s Wi-Fi network, and that it is upgrading hardware and software to best-in-class technology. This is aimed at providing a significant improvement in connectivity for visitors and staff.
It is also overhauling the core network infrastructure.
Improving experience
Simon Wilcock, head of technology operations at the British Library, said: “We are constantly looking at ways to improve user experience and, in our now ‘digital first’ era, ensuring that we can offer users free access to best-in-class Wi-Fi is essential.
“Our partnership with North has underpinned and strengthened the services we’re able to offer and we are delighted to extend our relationship with the team that fully understands our specific needs. The British Library is for everyone and we are looking forward to welcoming more visitors with the confidence of our enhanced free Wi-Fi network.”
Over the past three months, more than 450,000 unique users accessed the British Library’s free Wi-Fi network for business and leisure purposes.
