Digital Transformation for Housing Communities
Expired
Project Overview
Client Name: Places for People
Size: ~6,000 employees | ~ 1 billion turnover
Sites: Managing 600–700 residential housing sites across the UK
Focus: Supported living communities, including vulnerable and elderly residents
Partner Overview
Service Provider: Ocean Telecom
Location: Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
Industry: Telecommunications
Focus: Cloud telephony, connectivity (ADSL, FTTC, FTTP, leased lines), mobile, CCTV
Target Market: SME sector (typical clients ~50 users), with reach into both small and large multi-site organisations.
Project Objectives
Places for People, a social enterprise specialising in providing and managing housing for communities. Places for People in their supported living housing portfolio needed to transition their residential and telecare-enabled sites from legacy analogue (PSTN/ISDN) services to digital broadband, ahead of the UK-wide WLR (Wholesale Line Rental) switch-off by Openreach. This transformation needed:- Reliable broadband connectivity for telecare systems, CCTV, and VoIP in residential sites.
- Remote management and monitoring capabilities.
- Future-proof hardware compatible with both FTTC / SoGEA and full-fibre networks.
- Minimal disruption to vulnerable residents.
Challenges Faced
- Legacy Infrastructure: Most sites were reliant on dated analogue lines.
- Unmanaged Service: No proactive management around connectivity and monitoring meaning that any lines faults or site issues were slower to be identified and rectified.
- Openreach Delays: New FTTP installations were often delayed or logistically complex - particularly in locations without prior internet access.
- Digital Readiness: The client had previously received reactive, limited support with no remote diagnostics or visibility.
- Vulnerable Populations: Many residents in these properties rely on telecare systems that are life-critical, requiring absolute reliability and monitoring.
Solution
Ocean Telecom won a competitive tender to modernise these sites using DrayTek Vigor 2763ac routers, supported by DrayTek's VigorACS (Auto-Configuration System) platform.
Key Implementation Steps:
- Device Rollout: Initially 350 sites, potentially scaling to 500 due to organisational growth. As of early 2025, approximately 200 routers have been deployed.
- Wi-Fi Fallback: Wi-Fi was included for engineer access where Ethernet wasn't available, not intended for end-user internet use.
- Template-Driven Configurations: A predefined template setup ensures consistent deployment and rapid provisioning.
- Proactive Monitoring via ACS: Centralised firmware updates, diagnostics, and uptime monitoring via DrayTek ACS drastically improved operational visibility.
Technology Stack
- Hardware: DrayTek Vigor 2763ac routers
- Software: DrayTek VigorACS for configuration management and monitoring
- Connectivity: Mixture of ADSL, FTTC, and FTTP - future-proofed via router hardware WAN port switching capabilities
- Backup: SIM card-based mobile fallback for telecare reliability
Results and Benefits
Operational Efficiency
- Over 200 routers deployed in ~1 year
- Rapid provisioning with templated configurations.
- Centralised update management across hundreds of routers.
Improved Client Support
- Near-instant diagnostics and proactive issue detection.
- Reports and performance insights easily shared with the client.
- Reduced reliance on on-site engineer visits.
End-User Impact
- Noticeable improvement in broadband reliability across converted sites.
- Enables remote monitoring and firmware management of telecare systems.
- Provides assurance for mission-critical infrastructure supporting elderly residents.
Future-Proof Infrastructure
- Routers support SoGEA / FTTC and full-fibre connections without hardware change.
- Ready for mass FTTP migration as PSTN switch-off progresses.
- Designed to scale with upcoming site upgrades and new service deployments.
Why DrayTek?
Ocean Telecom has trusted DrayTek for over a decade after experiencing unreliable equipment with other vendors. Their technical staff are trained on the products and are confident with experienced with managing DrayTek devices. The decision is grounded in:
- Cost-effectiveness
- Ease of use and deployment
- Team familiarity and training
- Proven reliability over thousands of deployed units
“You stick to what you know. And with DrayTek, we know we can rely on it. The kit works, it's manageable, and it's efficient.”Steven Murfitt, Ocean Telecom
Client Satisfaction and Testimonial
Places for People is pleased with the rollout and the smooth transition of services. The management team is engaged and supportive, and they're happy to contribute to a formal testimonial and be involved in a future marketing case study.
Looking Ahead
As the WLR switch-off deadline approaches, the project will continue through 2025 with the remaining 300+ sites. The infrastructure deployed ensures:
- Seamless transition to FTTP without future hardware replacement.
- Support for additional services such as CCTV, VoIP, and smart building systems.
- Long-term cost savings through centralised remote management.
Conclusion
This project represents a textbook example of digital transformation driven by reliability, proactive service, and future-proof technology. With DrayTek’s solutions at the core, Places for People is well-positioned to maintain secure, monitored, and modern telecare-ready infrastructure across its national housing estate.
