L&Q is one of the largest housing associations in the UK, owning and managing more than 105,000 homes that house approximately 250,000 residents. Its mission is to deliver high-quality housing and infrastructure services, which requires robust and scalable connectivity across a portfolio of geographically dispersed properties, including remote locations. L&Q already ran a Cisco Meraki network estate and has an in-house team that carries out physical installations.

Managing a broad portfolio of properties across remote locations presented L&Q with persistent connectivity challenges. The association wanted to standardise its network infrastructure, improve operational efficiency and deliver seamless connectivity across all sites, for staff and residents alike.

Any solution had to integrate with L&Q’s existing Meraki infrastructure to minimise disruption and ensure compatibility. It needed to be scalable, reliable and efficient without a complete overhaul of the current setup. Connecting new sites by conventional means meant extensive fibre installations and expensive leased lines, so the association was looking for a faster and more cost-effective way to bring dispersed properties online.

Weak cellular coverage at some properties created potential dead zones, and building regulations and mounting constraints complicated where gateways could physically be installed.

L&Q selected Thrive on the strength of its proven track record and an existing partnership. Thrive’s team already knew L&Q’s infrastructure in depth, and the engagement covered network support, project-based work, Cisco ISE, connectivity, a Cisco Enterprise Agreement and WAN deployment.

Thrive implemented Cisco Meraki MG21 and MG41 mobile gateways to deliver 4G/5G connectivity across L&Q’s dispersed portfolio. The gateways were chosen for their compatibility with L&Q’s existing Meraki infrastructure, which kept disruption to a minimum during deployment. Thrive supported procurement, provided initial setup guidance and ensured the solution met L&Q’s requirements, while L&Q’s in-house team carried out the physical installations.

During implementation Thrive identified connectivity dead zones and worked with L&Q to optimise device placement, overcoming limitations caused by weak cellular coverage. Thrive also helped L&Q navigate building regulations and mounting challenges so that gateways were installed properly. The result is a scalable design that lets L&Q adapt as its connectivity needs evolve.

• Faster deployment: new sites come online without extensive fibre installations, minimising delays.
• Considerable cost savings from reducing the need for expensive leased lines.
• Significantly improved connectivity across L&Q’s remote offices, for residents and staff.
• Seamless integration with the existing Meraki estate, so no infrastructure overhaul was required.
• Dead zones resolved through optimised device placement, with guidance on building regulations and mounting.