University of Otago Science III Passive Optical Network Upgrade

Aotea Electric Southern’s Communications team delivered New Zealand’s first live‑building CommScope GPON Passive Optical LAN installation at the University of Otago’s Science III building, transforming a complex and aging copper network into a future‑ready fibre infrastructure.

The project was undertaken within a highly constrained, operational environment housing active laboratories, lecture theatres, workshops and library spaces, requiring careful coordination around exams, research activities and strict access controls. By transitioning multiple legacy networks into a single Passive Optical LAN, the solution significantly reduced spatial requirements, eliminated the need for dedicated communications rooms, lowered power consumption and reduced cooling demands.

Sustainability was embedded throughout the project, with extensive reuse of existing pathways, local fabrication of custom mounting solutions for optical network terminals (ONTs), comprehensive recycling of redundant cabling and hardware, and reduced site travel through virtual collaboration. Delivered by an agile, highly skilled team, the project demonstrates innovation, technical excellence, and a strong commitment to environmentally sustainable ICT infrastructure.

Earning well deserved recognition for this project, the Aotea Electric Southern Communications team were the recipient of BICSI’s 2024 Excellence in ICT Infrastructure Installation Award (Medium Project), the Silver Innovation Award at the Master Electricians 2024 Excellence Awards, and was also a finalist in BICSI’s ‘Pioneer of Sustainability’ Award.