At Gabitel, we have participated in the project development and construction management of the new Telecommunications Centre promoted by Orange Espagne S.A.U. on Avenida de la Constitución in Cáceres. The project is intended to serve its fixed fibre-optic network infrastructure and has required continuous technical coordination from the building construction phase through to the final legalisation and commissioning processes.
The work involved a critical telecommunications infrastructure bringing together different disciplines and systems that must operate in a coordinated manner. Our role consisted of designing the building and building-services solution, supervising execution, monitoring the technical quality of the works and coordinating the various parties involved, while maintaining an overall view of the project throughout all its phases.
Technical planning from the earliest stages
Before execution began, our work included a preliminary coordination phase with the technical staff of Cáceres City Council, aimed at analysing and resolving various matters relating to the implementation of the telecommunications centre. This early dialogue made it possible to address technical and administrative constraints from the outset and establish a coordinated basis for the subsequent development of the works.
In parallel, the necessary arrangements were made with Iberdrola to request the power required for the transformer substation. The availability of the electricity supply and appropriate power planning are increasingly important factors in technological infrastructures of this kind. Anticipating these needs is therefore essential to reduce constraints during execution and facilitate subsequent commissioning.
Multidisciplinary technical coordination
The project scope has integrated civil works, transformer substation and switching station, medium- and low-voltage electrical installations, generator sets and uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems, structured cabling, air conditioning, ventilation and free cooling, fire protection, plumbing, sewerage, as well as security and access-control systems.
The proper integration of all these elements is particularly important in facilities intended to support telecommunications services. Each system forms part of a whole in which the power supply, air conditioning, protection, control and operational continuity must respond in a coordinated manner to the facility’s requirements.
Although this is specifically a telecommunications centre, the project shares technical requirements with other critical infrastructures, particularly in areas such as system availability, power capacity, redundancy, air conditioning, fire protection and continuous monitoring, requirements that are also found in data centres and other highly complex technological infrastructures.
From construction monitoring to commissioning
Our involvement in this critical telecommunications infrastructure was not limited to monitoring execution. Throughout the project, we also participated in numerous integration and technical-validation processes, functional testing, coordination with suppliers and public bodies, utility connections, statutory approval of industrial installations and acceptance of the various systems.
Coordination with Orange, contractors, installers and utility companies was crucial to resolving the needs that arose during execution and maintaining consistency across the various disciplines. This work included arrangements relating to the electricity supply (Iberdrola), the connections required for the fire-protection systems (Canal de Isabel II), and the completion of the documentation required for commissioning.
This project highlights the importance of taking an integrated approach to critical telecommunications infrastructure. At Gabitel, we combine design, project management, multidisciplinary coordination, technical supervision and support throughout legalisation and commissioning. These capabilities are essential in telecommunications centres, data centres and other facilities where reliability and technical integration are decisive.
