HMS Victory
Case Studies
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Project Overview
Client: National Museum of the Royal Navy – HMS Victory
Location: Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
Heritage, Culture & Tourism
Scope: Wireless Connectivity | Point-to-Point Links | Guest & Operational Wi-Fi | Multimedia & Security Support
Core Objective: Deliver modern digital connectivity while preserving the integrity, aesthetics, and visitor experience of a national treasure.
HMS Victory is one of the most significant historic vessels in the world — Admiral Lord Nelson’s flagship and a symbol of Britain’s naval heritage. Any technology introduced to the ship must be handled with exceptional care, ensuring it enhances the experience without altering or distracting from the vessel itself.
The Challange
HMS Victory needed modern connectivity to support a 21st-century visitor experience, while remaining faithful to its historic character.
The requirements extended far beyond guest Wi-Fi. Connectivity was needed to support:
- Multimedia and video content for interpretation and education
- Staff and operational communications
- Security systems and monitoring devices
- Corporate events and special functions
- Visitor connectivity expectations in a world of mobile devices
All of this had to be delivered without visible disruption, intrusive cabling, or compromise to the ship’s structure, materials, or presentation.
Traditional wired approaches were impractical. The challenge was to provide high-capacity, resilient connectivity to a wooden warship built in the 18th century — discreetly, safely, and reliably.
Our Approach
Cyber Ware approached the project with a heritage-first mindset — designing technology around the environment, not the other way around.
High-capacity point-to-point wireless links were used to extend connectivity from shore-based infrastructure directly to the vessel, delivering the bandwidth required for video, multimedia, operations, and communications without invasive installation works.
Once onboard, the internal wireless design focused on:
- Discreet access point placement to minimise visual impact
- Careful coverage planning to support visitor routes and operational areas
- Segmentation of networks to separate guest, staff, and system traffic
- Secure integration with wider dockyard infrastructure
Every element was planned to ensure that technology remained largely invisible — present when needed, unnoticed when not.
The Outcome
HMS Victory now benefits from a robust, modern connectivity platform that supports both its heritage mission and its future ambitions.
- Enhanced visitor experience, with reliable connectivity enabling digital storytelling, multimedia exhibits, and interactive content
- Improved operational communications, supporting staff, guides, and event teams throughout the vessel
- Secure support for systems, including security and monitoring technologies
- Minimal visual and structural impact, preserving the authenticity and atmosphere of the ship
- Future-ready infrastructure, capable of supporting new exhibitions, events, and digital initiatives
Connectivity has become an enabler, not a distraction — allowing HMS Victory to remain historically authentic while fully relevant in a digital age.
Solution Architecture (at a glance)
- High-capacity point-to-point wireless links from shore to vessel
- Secure, segmented Wi-Fi networks (guest, staff, systems)
- Discreet internal wireless distribution designed around heritage constraints
- Integration with wider dockyard network and security infrastructure
- Managed monitoring and support to ensure consistent performance
From Preservation to Progress
Delivering technology into a site like HMS Victory demands more than technical expertise — it requires understanding, restraint, and respect for history.
Cyber Ware’s approach ensured that one of the world’s most iconic ships could embrace modern connectivity without compromising its past, enabling richer visitor experiences, safer operations, and new opportunities for engagement — all while keeping the focus exactly where it belongs: on the ship itself.
OUR CLIENTS
