Construction Site IT Set-Up: From Mobilisation to Handover
Everything a new site needs, ready for day one, and cleared away when the job ends.
Indigo Unified Communications sets up IT for new construction sites across Scotland from our Glasgow base. A site cabin is usually online within 2–3 working days over 4G or 5G, with satellite where the mobile signal is poor. We add site WiFi, phones, Microsoft Intune-managed devices and access to project files, support the site while it runs, and move or close everything down when the job finishes.
What does a new site need on day one?
The start of a job is when site IT is most likely to be forgotten. The cabins arrive, the team arrives, and nobody can open the latest drawings. This is the list we work through for every new site:
- Internet, with a backup. A managed 4G or 5G router, usually live within 2–3 working days, or satellite (Starlink or Eutelsat OneWeb) for remote sites. On longer jobs, a fixed line with the mobile connection kept as automatic backup. Construction site internet →
- WiFi in the cabins and welfare units. Ubiquiti UniFi access points, with separate networks for your staff, subcontractors and visitors, so outside firms get internet access but can't reach your systems.
- Phones. Calls to the site ring through to the site manager's mobile, on your 8x8, 3CX or Microsoft Teams Phone system, so nobody has to sit by a desk phone in the cabin.
- Rugged mobiles and tablets. Chosen from a large range of rugged devices, on EE, O2 or Vodafone depending on coverage at the site address, and enrolled in Microsoft Intune before they arrive so a lost device can be locked or wiped. Rugged phones for construction →
- Drawings, RAMS and site records. A Microsoft Teams and SharePoint workspace for the project, with version-controlled drawings and permissions for subcontractors, so the site works from the current revision.
- Security from the first login. Multi-factor authentication, protection against viruses and ransomware (endpoint detection and response, Kaseya 365) and INKY email security on every device. Where sites connect through Cato Networks SD-WAN (secure, managed connections between sites), the cabin gets the same security policies as head office.
- User accounts. New starters and subcontractors set up with the access they need, and only that. How to give site staff and subcontractors access, and take it away again →
How we mobilise a site
- Survey and order. Tell us the site address, the cabin plan (how many cabins and welfare units, and where they sit), the start date and the number of users. We check 4G and 5G coverage from EE, O2 and Vodafone at the address, and whether a fixed line is available, then recommend a setup and place the orders. The earlier we hear about a new site, the more likely everything is in place when the team arrives.
- Go live in 2–3 working days. A managed 4G or 5G router, with an external antenna where the signal needs it, usually has the cabin online within 2–3 working days. Where mobile signal is poor, we use satellite instead. We install the WiFi, connect the phones, and have Intune-managed devices ready for the team.
- Run the site. Our Glasgow service desk supports the site team like any other office: every ticket gets a first response in under 30 minutes, and we have 24/7 system monitoring on our Gold and Platinum packages. We add and remove users as people join and leave, and move kit between cabins as the compound changes shape.
- Close down or move on. When the job finishes, we move the connection and equipment to your next site where that works, and arrange for services that are no longer needed to be ceased. Devices are recovered and wiped before they're reused, and old equipment goes to a certified WEEE recycling partner. We aim to have everything closed down within a week of your notice.
Give us two weeks' notice before a site starts and it'll be ready on day one. Our standard site cabin kit (router, antenna, WiFi access points and a UPS) can be ordered as a package, and a satellite connection is usually live within 2 to 5 working days of ordering.
When a fixed line makes sense
A 4G or 5G router is the quickest way to open a site, but on a longer job a fixed line is usually faster and more reliable. Full fibre (FTTP) costs about £32–£50 a month depending on speed. A leased line starts from about £200 a month depending on the area, comes with a 5-hour fix time on fibre Ethernet, and typically takes 30–90 working days to install, so it needs ordering at the start of the job, not halfway through. We confirm availability and price within 2 working days of getting the site address, and keep the 4G/5G router as automatic backup once the line is in.
See construction site internet for which connection suits which kind of site, what a leased line is and when to use one, and our guide to the best internet for a construction site.
Example
A Central Scotland building firm, around 160 staff. The firm had no reliable way to get its site cabins online. We connected its sites with Starlink and linked them to head office through Cato Networks SD-WAN. We also rolled out Microsoft Intune across the firm's devices and moved its Azure servers from pay-as-you-go to reserved instances to reduce running costs. The firm has since achieved Cyber Essentials Plus.
Client not named at their request.
Not sure how ready your current setup is for the next site? Take the free 2-minute construction IT health check →
Frequently asked questions
How quickly can a new construction site be up and running?
The internet connection is usually the longest wait, and Indigo normally has a site cabin online within 2–3 working days over 4G or 5G. WiFi, phones and pre-configured devices are set up alongside it. The more notice we get of the site address, start date and number of users, the more likely everything is ready on the first morning.
What do you need from us to set up a new site?
Four things: the site address, the cabin plan (how many cabins and welfare units, and where they sit), the start date and the number of people who'll work there. With those, we check mobile coverage and fixed-line availability at the address, recommend a setup and order what's needed. We confirm fixed-line availability and price within 2 working days.
What happens to the IT when a site closes?
We move the connection and equipment to your next site where that's possible, and arrange for services that are no longer needed to be ceased, so you're not paying for a site that has finished. Laptops, tablets and phones are recovered and wiped before they're reused, and anything at the end of its life goes to a certified WEEE recycling partner.
Can subcontractors use the site WiFi and project files?
Yes, with limits. Subcontractors get their own WiFi network, separate from your staff network, so they have internet access without reaching your company systems. Project files sit in a Microsoft Teams and SharePoint workspace where permissions control which folders each firm can see, and their access is removed when they leave the job.
Do you set up sites outside Glasgow?
Yes. Indigo Unified Communications is based in Glasgow and Livingston and sets up sites across Scotland. Because we're not tied to one mobile network, we use EE, O2 or Vodafone, whichever covers the site best, and satellite such as Starlink where none of them does. Most support after set-up is delivered remotely.