Delivering Resilient Internet Connectivity Infrastructure for Modern Education: How Synoptic Supports The Axis Education Group.
Reliable, high-speed internet connectivity has become mission-critical for modern education providers. From hybrid learning platforms and live lectures to administrative systems and digital collaboration tools, educational organisations depend on resilient, high-capacity networks to operate effectively.
For large institutions supporting thousands of students across multiple campuses, enterprise-grade dedicated internet connectivity infrastructures are no longer optional—they are essential.
This was precisely the challenge faced by The Axis Education Group, a rapidly growing Irish education consortium that required scalable, resilient connectivity to support its expansion across Dublin.
(L–R) Rod Walsh, Director of Wholesale & Partner Channel, Synoptic; Chris Lauder, CEO, The Axis Education Group; and David O’Farrell, CTO, Synoptic
A Growing Education Network with Ambitious Plans
Established in 2025, The Axis Education Group is a 100% Irish-owned educational consortium bringing together several well-known institutions:
The Dublin Academy of Education
Independent College
International House Dublin
Public Affairs Ireland
Collectively, the group employs more than 220 staff and supports over 20,000 students through both in-person and online learning platforms.
The organisation’s mission centres on delivering effective education that builds critical thinking, confidence and problem-solving skills—not just exam performance.
To support this vision, Axis has outlined an ambitious 24–36 month growth strategy, including:
Expanding postgraduate programmes at Independent College
Launching courses in Artificial Intelligence, Digital Business, and Business Analytics
Increasing their physical campus footprint in Dublin
Such expansion places significant demands on network infrastructure, bandwidth capacity and business continuity, making solutions such essential for organisations operating at scale.
Investing in a State-of-the-Art Campus in Blackrock
In 2025, Axis announced a €7 million investment to develop a 28,000 sq. ft. campus at Frascati House in Blackrock, Co. Dublin.
The new facility houses an expanded Dublin Academy of Education along with a new Transition Year programme, which welcomed students from September 2025.
As a modern education environment supporting high volumes of students and staff, the campus required high-capacity dedicated internet connectivity, enterprise-grade network resilience and guaranteed uptime.
Solutions such as Dedicated Internet Access fibre ensure organisations can maintain consistent speeds, symmetrical bandwidth and guaranteed performance even during peak usage periods.
Supporting Connectivity from the early days
According to David O’Farrell, Chief Technology Officer at Synoptic, the partnership between Synoptic and the organisation began several years earlier.
“We began our relationship with The Dublin Academy of Education back in 2020 when we were brought in to investigate the best internet connectivity options available to their then facility in Stillorgan, Co. Dublin.”
At the time, the most suitable solution for speed of delivery, performance and cost was a Microwave connectivity solution.
(Internal link opportunity: “Microwave connectivity solution” → Synoptic Microwave Internet page)
While this delivered reliable connectivity initially, the facility continued to expand year after year, requiring additional bandwidth and stronger network resilience.
To support this growth, Synoptic designed and deployed a high-grade fibre infrastructure solution, creating a network that combined:
Dedicated Internet Access (DIA) Fibre Connectivity
Microwave connectivity as a secondary connection
Dual-path network diversity
This architecture ensured maximum uptime and redundancy through resilient network connectivity design and business continuity network solutions.
Seamless Connectivity During a Major Campus Move
One of the biggest operational challenges for Axis in 2025 was the relocation of The Dublin Academy of Education from Stillorgan to the new Blackrock campus.
Moving an entire campus network infrastructure without disrupting students, staff or digital learning systems requires careful planning and robust connectivity design.
Synoptic was tasked with transferring the entire connectivity infrastructure while maintaining continuous service.
“In September 2025, they completed the big move to the new Blackrock campus. Synoptic moved the full connectivity solution from Stillorgan to the new facility whilst ensuring to maintain full service up-time for the staff and students,” said David O’Farrell.
The migration involved managing:
Decommissioning connectivity at the previous campus
Installing new enterprise fibre & microwave internet infrastructure
Re-deploying resilient connectivity architecture
Ensuring zero disruption to operational systems
This type of project highlights the importance of managed network services and enterprise connectivity planning for organisations undergoing infrastructure changes.
Upgrading Connectivity at Independent College in Dublin 1
At the same time, Independent College, located at The Steelworks on Foley Street in Dublin 1, required a major upgrade to its network infrastructure.
Situated close to Dublin’s Silicon Docks and the IFSC, the campus features 22 purpose-built lecture rooms across 28,000 sq. ft., designed with modern technology and floor-to-ceiling windows to create a contemporary learning environment.
To support this infrastructure and the growing demand for digital learning tools, Synoptic delivered:
High-grade Dedicated Internet Access fibre infrastructure
An additional connectivity link in an adjacent building
A network architecture aligned with the solution implemented at the Blackrock campus
Despite tight project timelines, the installation was completed quickly, ensuring the college could operate with high-performance business fibre internet and improved network reliability.
A Trusted Connectivity Partner for Education
For large educational organisations, choosing the right connectivity partner can significantly impact operational stability and digital learning experiences.
Chris Lauder, Chief Executive Officer of The Axis Education Group, highlighted the importance of reliable connectivity during the group’s major expansion year.
“The greatest challenge we faced in 2025 was undoubtedly the move of The Dublin Academy of Education from Stillorgan to Blackrock. Having the internet connectivity infrastructure shifted across seamlessly was one of the most important and challenging aspects we faced.”
“The team at Synoptic were right on top of everything from the beginning. They managed both the fibre and Microwave decommissioning at the old site and the re-installations at the new location. Our staff and students experienced no downtime during the move.”
“As a group we’ve been delighted with the level of service and support we’ve received from Synoptic over the years — their professionalism is second to none.”
Fibre Internet Built for Organisations That Can’t Afford Downtime
For organisations supporting thousands of users, the quality of connectivity directly impacts productivity, digital services and customer experience.
Solutions such as Dedicated Internet Access, and diverse network infrastructure architecture ensure organisations can scale operations without losing connectivity or it becoming a bottleneck.
Whether supporting modern education environments like The Axis education Group , enterprise headquarters or multi-site organisations, resilient internet connectivity enables businesses to operate with peace of mind and confidence.
Synoptic continues to work with organisations across Ireland to deliver high-performance enterprise connectivity solutions built for the demands of modern digital operations.