Located in the heart of King's Cross, London, Havas Village London (HVL) serves as a hub for creative minds, bringing together more than 30 marketing and communications agencies under one roof. As one of the most innovative and forward-thinking advertising and communications companies in the world, Havas sought to create a work environment that would foster collaboration, creativity, and productivity. To achieve this, they needed a cutting-edge, high-performance, and secure digital infrastructure to support over 1700 employees working across ten dynamic floors of the building.
When Havas opened the doors to its new (at the time named) HKX building in 2017, it was designed to accommodate a wide range of creative professionals. The challenge, however, was that the building’s industrial layout posed numerous technical difficulties for traditional WiFi and broadband setups. The extensive use of glass walls, large meeting rooms, and open-plan offices made it necessary to rethink the design and deployment of both network infrastructure and wireless connectivity.
Havas also faced the growing demand for high-bandwidth applications, cloud-based tools, and seamless mobile connectivity to ensure employees could work efficiently and securely. With more than 1700 employees—many of whom rely on multiple connected devices every day—Havas needed a solution that could keep up with both the scale and the evolving digital needs of the business.
Havas turned to Wifirst, a trusted provider of managed network solutions, to meet the connectivity demands of HKX. Wifirst was tasked with delivering a comprehensive, enterprise-grade WiFi and fibre solution to ensure that all employees had fast, reliable, and secure access to the internet and their internal resources.
In collaboration with the building’s architects, Wifirst began planning the deployment of a high-density WiFi network even before construction was complete. Working closely with the design team during the final stages of the two-year building project, Wifirst identified key considerations for the network infrastructure, including overcoming challenges posed by the industrial design elements such as metal tiles, open-plan spaces, and the extensive use of glass.
A tailor-made WiFi solution was implemented, featuring a fully managed, high-density network that would support the dynamic needs of over 1700 employees spread across ten floors of office space. Additionally, fibre leased lines were installed to provide dedicated, high-speed internet connectivity to meet the growing demand for bandwidth.
The solution was designed with the building’s industrial architecture in mind to ensure maximum WiFi coverage and performance across all ten floors of the building, supporting more than 4500 devices connected daily.
The installation of Wifirst’s WiFi and fibre solution immediately provided seamless connectivity for all employees. The network allowed over 1700 employees to connect their multiple devices securely and efficiently, ensuring that all 4500+ devices in the building received a stable, high-speed connection regardless of location.
As Havas’s business expanded and data usage surged, Wifirst was able to swiftly scale the network to meet these new demands. In 2024, to accommodate the increasing need for speed and connectivity, the bandwidth supplied to Havas was upgraded from 1GB to 10GB, ensuring that the network could support the continued growth of Havas's teams and their reliance on high-bandwidth applications.
Wifirst further enhanced the Havas Village network by deploying 102 Ruckus WiFi 6 Access Points (APs) and 4 R750 APs to improve performance and support higher device density across the building. The redeployment of these APs ensured that coverage remained optimal, accounting for changes in office layouts and user density.
Ruckus Analytics AI was also integrated into the network to provide key performance indicators (KPIs), advanced troubleshooting capabilities, and a continuous improvement cycle for the network’s performance. This AI-powered tool enabled Wifirst to fine-tune the network and provide Havas with valuable insights to further optimise its connectivity.
The success of the network at Havas Village London has been so impactful that Wifirst’s solution was expanded to support six smaller Havas agencies in other locations. These sites were upgraded to match the high-performance standards set by the Havas Villlage London building, ensuring a consistent and seamless network experience across all Havas locations.
The implementation of the Wifirst network solution has driven significant improvements in Havas's daily operations. With more than 4500 devices connected to the network at Havas Village London every day, employees experience fast, secure, and seamless internet access at all times. The scalable infrastructure ensures that as Havas continues to grow, the network can handle the increased demand without compromising performance.
The impact of this solution extends beyond the Havas Village London building itself, as Wifirst’s network services were successfully extended to six other Havas agencies, ensuring consistency and high performance across all locations.
Havas Village London (formerly HKX) is a model of modern, collaborative workspaces where connectivity plays a pivotal role in business success. By partnering with Wifirst, Havas ensured that its teams could work efficiently and securely, leveraging the power of advanced networking technology. Wifirst’s solution, which includes scalable, high-performance WiFi and fibre infrastructure, has helped Havas meet their current needs and will continue to support their future growth. Through constant innovation and expert management, Wifirst has proven itself as a trusted partner in enabling business productivity and success.
Alan Ward
IT Director, Havas UK
A leader in innovative WiFi and Fibre connectivity solutions since 2002, Wifirst is trusted by thousands of customers across Europe to provide high-quality, robust networks.
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Wifirst - The HKX Building
3 Pancras Square, London, N1C 4AG
