THE UNIVERSITY
of EDINBURGH
Records Management Section
The University of Edinburgh
Old College
South Bridge
Edinburgh EH8 9YL
Direct Dial 0131 651 4099
Switchboard 0131 650 1000
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xx.xx.xx
16 August 2021
www.ed.ac.uk/records-management
File ref: FOI2021/00079
Ellen Blacow
Sent by email: request-726834-
xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
Dear Ellen Blacow
Freedom of Information request: FOI2021/00079
Thank you for your email of 12 February 2021 requesting information about
the
University of Edinburgh's internet and IT structure. Please accept our apologies for the
delay to our response to your request. The University’s working practices are currently
affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The University of Edinburgh is a global university, rooted in Scotland. We are global y
recognised for our research, development and innovation and we have provided world-
class teaching to our students for more than 430 years. We are the largest university in
Scotland and in 2019/20 our annual revenue was £1.12 bil ion, of which £296 mil ion was
research income. We have over 44,000 students and over 15,000 staff. We are a
founding member of the UK's Russell Group of leading research universities and a
member of the League of European Research Universities.
The University has over 600 buildings (excluding residential accommodation), located on
a number of sites dispersed throughout the city of Edinburgh. It also provides residential
accommodation for around 9,500 students at over 40 different locations,
The University comprises three academic colleges, subdivided into twenty-one schools,
and three support groups, subdivided into some seventy support services. The University
operates a devolved management structure, with IT arrangements and complaints dealt
with at central, college, school and department level. Providing a comprehensive
response to all of your questions would involve contacting almost every area of the
University. Doing this would cost more than £600, the limit over which the University is
not required to respond to freedom of information requests.
However, in responding to your request I have provided information held by the
University’s Information Services Group (ISG), which provide central IT support services,
Accommodation, Catering and Events (ACE), which provide accommodation services,
and Academic Services, which manage complaints dealt with centrally.
University Secretary: Ms Sarah Smith
The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336
Internet and IT structure
You asked how much the University spent on broadband during the 2019/20 financial
year. ISG report a spend of £568.60. ACE report a spend of £602,000.
You asked for the internet network provider. We have interpreted this question to mean
who provides the University’s public network/internet connectivity. Like most, if not all, UK
universities, we connect to the JANET network provided by Jisc. This includes student
accommodation, with the University now providing its own network services with JANET
providing the internet connectivity. Optify provided the service until June 2021.
You asked for the average network speed on each of the University's campuses. The
University has five key campuses. However, one of these is a collection of properties
across Edinburgh City Centre, so is not a traditional ‘campus’. It is difficult to provide
specific figures, it is not possible to calculate an average network speed on each
campus, as there are many different technologies in operation and multiple variable
factors affecting speed, including whether it is between two devices or one device and
the internet and the location of the devices. Nevertheless, the University's campus
connectivity ranges from a minimum of 2 x 10Gbps up to 2 x 40Gbps and the majority of
edge ports are 1Gbps. The University is currently conducting a network replacement
project, which wil see the minimum speed for campus connectivity increase to 40Gbps.
In directly managed University accommodation, the average network speed is 100-
150Mb/s.
You asked for the percentage of each campus covered by Wi-Fi. The University does not
hold details on the percentage of coverage for each campus and the University is not
required to create new information in order to respond to freedom of information
requests. However, please note that the University has Wi-Fi in all the areas required,
including teaching rooms, meeting rooms, office spaces, lecture hal s, corridors and
communal spaces, as well as some limited outdoor spaces. The University is currently
conducting a network replacement project to replace the entire University network and
this includes improved Wi-Fi coverage and signal strength to ensure there are no black
spots. Directly managed University accommodation has 100% Wi-Fi coverage in
bedrooms and common areas.
You asked for the number of times the University has switched network provider between
January 2015 and December 2020. We were unsure how to interpret this question. If you
mean the provider of the University's connection to the internet, the answer is zero. If you
mean the provider that manages the University's (internal) network, the answer is zero. If
you mean the supplier of the University's (internal) network equipment, the answer is
one.
You asked how many broadband routers there are across all University campus
buildings. In terms of the campuses, there is one broadband router for a smal remote
teaching/study room. In terms of directly managed University accommodation, there are
four DSL routers covering small isolated flats. This is mostly a managed network using
fibre links.
You asked whether the University has fibre-optic broadband across any campus
buildings. ISG report that there are no campus buildings with fibre-optic broadband
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managed by ISG. In terms of directly managed University accommodation, however,
ACE report that almost all buildings have fibre connections.
You asked whether any of the directly managed University accommodation residences
require an ethernet cable as opposed to Wi-Fi. No, al directly managed University
accommodation has Wi-Fi.
You asked whether any of the directly managed University accommodation residences
have the option of both an ethernet cable and Wi-Fi, and to provide a list of the names of
the residences where the answer is yes. A list of the names of residences with the option
of both is as follows:
• Baird House
• Chancel or's Court
• Ewing House
• Fraser Court
• Grant House
• John Burnett House
• Holland House
• Holland Annexe
• Lee House
• Turner House
• Ascham Court
• Blacket Avenue
• Blackfriars Street
• Blackwood Crescent
• Causewayside
• College Wynd
• College Wynd
• Darroch Court
• Davie Street
• East Newington Place
• Hermits Croft
• Kincaids Court
• Morgan Court
• New Arthur Place
• Nicolson Street 5
• Nicolson Street 92 & 96
• Ratcliffe Terrace
• Robertson Close
• Roxburgh Place
• Sciennes
• South Bridge & Drummond Street
• South Clerk Street
• South College Street
• Warrender Park Road
• Warrender Park Crescent
• West Mains
• West Nicolson Street
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• West Richmond Street
• Buccluech Place
• Buccleuch Place Lane
• David Horn House
• Kitchener House
• Patrick Geddes
• Edward Salvesen
• Phillip Henman
• Churchil House
• Fleming House
• Nicolson Street
• Deaconess
• O'Shea South
• O'Shea North
• Orrok Lane
• Plus 93 individual flats (not blocks)
Data destruction
You asked whether the University has a data destruction policy. We contacted ISG in
relation to this question and they reported they do not have a specific data destruction
policy. However, if you can clarify what you mean by data destruction policy, for example
what you would consider to be covered by such a policy, we can make further enquiries
in relation to this part of your request.
Please note however that the University’s retention of personal data is managed in
accordance with data protection legislation. Further information about
data protection at
the University, including t
he University's Record Retention Schedules is published on its
website.
Student complaints
You asked for the number of student complaints received by the University relating to the
'internet', 'Wi-Fi' and 'broadband' between January 2015 and December 2020, and for the
number of complaints to be provided by calendar year.
ACE report that they do not hold any information about student complaints relating to the
'internet', 'Wi-Fi' and 'broadband' in student accommodation during the period. ACE also
noted that complaints could be directed to many areas of the University and that students
in directly managed University accommodation are advised to direct complaints, queries
or support requests directly to the internet service provider. As explained above, although
the University now provides its own network services, with JANET providing the internet
connectivity, Optify provided the service until June 2021.
Academic Services do not collate data relating to 'internet', 'Wi-Fi' and 'broadband' as
part of our statutory reporting process. However, a keyword search of the Central
University Complaints log, which records matters that are reported to the Central
University Complaints team directly at Stage 1 of the Complaint Handling Procedure
(CHP), or escalated by the Central University team to Stage 2, has found no complaints
in the log using those terms.
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Please note that this response does not contain information on complaints made via the
50 plus Schools, Colleges and service areas that submit data to the Academic Services
team each quarter. All ‘areas’ submit four returns each academic year. These are
discrete documents which are never integrated into Academic Serivces’ Central log. ISG
would have made around 20 returns for the period in question. A quarterly return
comprises of an Excel spreadsheet and narrative report, which Academic Services, or
ISG, would need to manually interrogate to obtain the information requested. In the case
of ISG, it is estimated that it would take a minimum of 30 minutes to review each return,
which amounts to more than one day of work. Doing this would cost more than £100, the
limit over which the University is able to charge a fee for responding to requests. The
level of the fee is set by legislation, and is set at 10% of any cost over £100, to a
maximum of £50. Please let me know if you would like this charge to be calculated. The
basis on which we calculate the cost of responding to freedom of information requests is
set out in t
he freedom of information charging information on our website. It should also
be noted that many quarterly returns from this period wil be in paper files in Old College.
Requested format
We are aware that you requested a response in machine readable format where
applicable. We have provided your response in PDF format, as machine readable
formats do not tend to present as well. However, if you would like us to provide your
response in a different format, please let us know. It would be helpful if you could specify
what type of machine readable format you would prefer.
Right to review
If you are dissatisfied with this response, you may ask the University to conduct a review
of this decision by contacting the University's Records Management Section in writing
(e.g. by letter or email) or in some other recorded form (e.g. audio or video tape). You
should describe the original request, explain your grounds for dissatisfaction, and include
an address for correspondence. You have 40 working days from receipt of this letter to
submit a review request. The contact details for the Records Management Section are at
the top of this letter. When the review process has been completed, if you are stil
dissatisfied, you may use t
he Scottish Information Commissioner’s guidance on making
an appeal to make an appeal to the Commissioner. If you do not have access to the
Internet, please let me know and I wil provide a copy of the relevant web pages.
Privacy notice for information request applicants
The University of Edinburgh's request privacy notice, which describes how we use the
information you have supplied about yourself and your request, is published on the
University website.
Yours sincerely
Rachel Scott
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Records Management Section
If you require this letter in an alternative format, such as large print or
a coloured background, please contact the Records Management
Section on 0131 651 4099 or email xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xx.xx.xx
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Document Outline