Plant protection is a simple way for utility companies and other organizations to obtain plans showing where underground infrastructure exists when they are planning to excavate holes or trenches in the public highway.

At its inception, the GBN was predominantly installed within University- and College-owned land. Now at over 80km, and continuing to expand, more of it is being installed within the public highway. The exact route of the network has always been kept secret to prevent thieves mistakenly trying to pull copper wire out of our ducting - this of course leading only to disappointment when they find it's an optical fibre network! It has also meant others legitimately digging up the public highway might get a nasty surprise when they unwittingly discover our network.

To address this risk the UIS GBN team looked at the various providers on offer, and having followed the University's procurement process, chose LinesearchBeforeUDig. The company has a proven track record of protecting 800,000km of pipes and cables in the electricity, gas, high-pressure fuel, water and telecoms sectors.

Joining LinesearchBeforeUDig couldn't have come at a more important time for the University. Greater amounts of data are travelling over our network, with an absolute necessity to stay connected.

GBN manager, Ritchie Carter, was glad to be joining LSBUD’s membership, commenting “Joining LSBUD is a step in the right direction for me and the team. We’ll now be able to ensure the GBN has the necessary visibility to minimize the risk of network strikes, thus providing an extra level of protection for this key asset of the University’s estate.”

If you have any queries contact the GBN team.