Glide, the market leader in connectivity infrastructure for multi-dwelling environments, partners with the University of Exeter to deliver a major upgrade to wired and wireless connectivity across its student accommodation estate.
A new multi-year contract will see Glide provide fully managed connectivity services to 5,346 student bedrooms, making it one of Glide’s largest single university accommodation deployments to date. It reinforces a long-term strategic partnership between Glide and the University stretching back to 2007.
As part of the upgrade, Glide will deliver pervasive high-performance Wi-Fi and wired connectivity across bedrooms and shared spaces, including study areas, social spaces, gyms and laundry facilities. The solution will also include extensive outdoor wireless coverage, supporting connectivity across courtyards, gardens and communal outdoor areas used by students.
The deployment will introduce Glide’s latest managed connectivity architecture, Glide Home, to the University of Exeter for the first time. Glide Home gives students a secure, private network that follows them across their accommodation, allowing all their devices to connect easily, reliably and securely wherever they live and study.
To support growing demand for data across campus, Glide will also upgrade its dedicated fibre connectivity to the University, increasing core capacity to 100 Gbit/s. This future-proofed approach reflects continued year-on-year growth in student data usage and ensures the network can scale to meet evolving digital requirements.
The University of Exeter has worked with Glide for more than a decade, with Glide previously delivering managed services across student accommodation and wider campus infrastructure. The latest contract builds on this relationship and supports the University’s focus on delivering a consistent, high-quality digital experience for students, regardless of where they live.
Nathan Burden, Divisional Director of Information Technology at the University of Exeter, said:
“Glide has been a trusted partner to the University of Exeter for many years. This new contract allows us to build on that relationship and deliver a consistently high-quality connectivity experience for our students, both now and in the future.”
Jenny Houghton, Contracts and Residence Experience Manager at the University of Exeter, added:
“Reliable, high-performance connectivity is essential to the student experience. Glide’s approach, particularly its focus on outdoor coverage and future-proof capacity, aligns closely with how our accommodation and campus spaces are designed to be used.”
Tim Pilcher, CEO at Glide, said:
“The University of Exeter is a highly respected Russell Group institution, and we’re proud to deliver this major connectivity upgrade. This contract reflects the strength of our long-standing partnership and our ability to design and operate networks that scale, perform and evolve alongside student expectations.”
Delivered through Glide’s Infrastructure as a Service model, the solution will also incorporate advanced network protection and wellbeing services, including content filtering and crisis intervention capabilities, supporting the University’s safeguarding and duty of care commitments.
Delivery of the upgraded network will begin in early 2026, with phased implementation designed to minimise disruption during the academic year.
About Glide
Glide is the market leader in connectivity infrastructure for B2B customers across the UK’s multi-dwelling student, residential and business park markets.
Delivering world-class NPS scores, Glide focuses on performance, reliability and customer experience, providing sustainable and scalable solutions to thousands of businesses, campuses and residential properties across the UK and Europe.
