Re-Thinking How Networks Can Support Hyperconnected Buildings

Hyperconnected workspaces and ever-smarter buildings aren’t coming. They’re already here.

The demands on networks in terms of speed, electricity and the sheer amount of data transferred will only grow.

A report from IoT Analytics predicts that there will be roughly 27 billion connected IoT devices globally by 2025.

That’s more than double the number there is today.

Now consider how much more robust and data-rich those devices will be as we move from Web 3.0 to 4.0 and beyond. AI (artificial intelligence), ML (machine learning), DL (deep learning) ecosystems and ambient computing mesh are already gaining mainstream traction.

This new era of computing and connectivity requires a different approach to network infrastructure. That’s where Constellation^TM from CommScope® comes in — moving from traditional LAN/IP cabling architecture to Constellation Building Edge infrastructure.

Instead of running fiber cables from your equipment room to telecommunications rooms (TRs) on each floor and then a heap of Cat cables to connect everything, Constellation allows you to do away with telecom rooms altogether.

Powered fiber cables, or Class 4 wiring aka Digital Electricity, can run up to 500 meters between your equipment room and Constellations points which house PoE switches and automation controllers. Think of these as mini-telecommunications rooms in your ceiling.

Add in CommScope’s partnership with Volt Server for supplying power and you have a recipe for trustworthy zone-cabling.

So, what’s the benefit of all this to you?

• Dramatically reduce amount of cabling and deployment time
• Shrink space requirements for equipment rooms
• Eliminate the need for separate TRs on each floor
• Span up to 500 meters (1,640 feet) between the equipment room and Constellation points
• Support converged, discrete and hybrid IT/ OT networks
• Leverage existing centralized power backup
• Reduce the need for bulky ac/dc transformers
• Reduce skilled labor requirements by 50% or more
• Easily add devices/services from any Constellation point with short factory-terminated cables

Does every building need Constellation though?

Not necessarily.

Consider it as another tool in your structured cabling toolbox. Something that increases flexibility and the way you handle electricity/data flow through a network.

You might not need something as sophisticated today, but tomorrow may be a different story.

Additional Resource:

• Take a deep dive into Constellation with this white paper and product guide.

Call us to see if Constellation is right for you, and keep an eye out for an announcement about our upcoming in-house demo so you can really get a feel for how building edge infrastructure works.