In the time-critical field of precision oncology, where every second of data transfer could impact patient care, reliable high-speed connectivity isn’t just an IT requirement—it’s a crucial component of healthcare delivery. When traditional infrastructure options proved unfeasible, an innovative solution was needed to connect vital healthcare facilities.
Background: A Healthcare Campus's Connectivity Challenge
In the heart of Silicon Valley’s life sciences hub, Guardant Health’s healthcare campus in Redwood City, California, faced a seemingly simple yet critical challenge: connecting two buildings separated by roughly 1,000 feet with high-speed broadband connectivity.
Yet this straightforward need was complicated by unique local constraints. The surrounding fiber infrastructure was controlled by Stanford University, making traditional fiber installation not just expensive—with quotes exceeding half a million dollars—but practically impossible. RF solutions struggled with interference issues, and as tenants rather than property owners, their infrastructure options were limited.
Legacy Infrastructure Challenges
The healthcare campus grappled with several connectivity obstacles:
- Physical Infrastructure Limitations: Traditional fiber installation would require extensive road work and complex permissions.
- Cost Barriers: Fiber quotes exceeded $100,000 for the short distance.
- Technical Constraints: RF solutions proved unreliable due to significant interference in the area.
- Property Restrictions: As tenants, their ability to modify existing infrastructure was limited.
The Solution: Precision Medicine Meets Precision Connectivity
After evaluating various options, Guardant Health opted for Transcelestial’s laser communication technology. This solution promised to deliver:
- High-speed connectivity without physical fiber cables
- Low latency operation (Target: 3-9ms)
- High uptime performance (99.9%)
- Cost-effective deployment compared to traditional options
- Minimal infrastructure modification requirements
The installation process was straightforward, with CENTAURI devices mounted at optimal points between the two buildings. Key considerations during deployment included:
- Environmental factors such as seabirds and fog
- Maintaining building aesthetics
- Meeting strict healthcare facility requirements
- Ensuring reliable 24/7 operation
The Results: Breaking New Ground in Healthcare Infrastructure
The deployment marks a significant milestone in healthcare connectivity solutions, demonstrating how laser technology can solve complex infrastructure challenges in sensitive healthcare environments. While the system is currently in final testing phases, the initial implementation has already validated key advantages of the laser-based approach.
“The deployment underscores the versatility of laser technology, it provided a very quick-to-deploy alternative to building fiber, without requiring any of the red tape. It also provides Guardant Health with 10Gbps of throughput between the two locations, supporting their high performance computing applications.,” noted Rajesh Modi, Head of Solution and Services, Transcelestial.
As one of the first life sciences companies to embrace laser communication technology for critical infrastructure needs, Guardant Health’s implementation demonstrates the versatility of laser-based solutions in sensitive environments where traditional connectivity options fall short.
This success story shows how innovative approaches to infrastructure challenges can support vital operations while avoiding the costly and complex issues associated with traditional connectivity solutions.
