BBC’s broadcast cabinet of choice

The BBC New Broadcasting House development was a ten-year long project, involving the refurbishment and modernisation of the original 1932 London Broadcasting House for BBC Network Radio, followed by a new extension to house BBC World Service and BBC News. By working closely with engineers from BBC Solutions and their installation contractors, the differing needs of the three applications were satisfied by supplying modified variants of the core platform in heights of 37, 42 and 47U.

The key engineering issues were the need for as much cable space as possible behind the equipment, and, because of the specialist nature of the housed equipment, the ability to ground together or isolate individual cabinets in a bayed suite was also important. 

The IT department needed 1000mm deep server cabinets with fully ventilated doors, either single or twin ‘wardrobe’ style for effective thermal management, whereas the Broadcast cabinets are normally open front and rear for easy access. In all three applications special panel mountings, adjustable when the racks are bayed together, were designed to give maximum space for cables or the telescopic slides fitted to the servers.