The TAMUCT CORE Operational Facility in Killeen: What It Means for Site Connectivity
Project announced April 2024
What's happening
Hoar Construction reported in April 2024 (in an article that originally appeared on Spaces4Learning) that Texas A&M University-Central Texas (TAMUCT) had recently broken ground on a new operational facility in Killeen. The Centralized Operational Reliability and Efficiency (CORE) facility is described as a single-story, 36,000-square-foot building with an estimated cost of $50 million. It is planned to consolidate central utility facilities from around campus and to house the University Police Department, an Emergency Operations Center and an integrated campus Central Utility Plant. At the time, the estimated completion date was spring 2026, so check the current status with the campus before relying on that date. The report names PBK as architect, Shah Smith & Associates as MEP engineer, Gessner Engineering as civil engineer and Hoar Construction as general contractor.
Source: Hoar Construction (April 2024)
What this means for connectivity
A building that houses a police department, an emergency operations center and a central utility plant is one where the network cannot simply go down. Utility controls, dispatch, cameras and access control all depend on it, and the campus IT team will usually set its own network requirements.
- Diverse primary circuits. Dedicated fiber through separate building entrances on different routes, coordinated with the campus network team.
- An independent failover path. A second fiber route can still share the same streets. A Starlink failover link with automatic switchover keeps critical systems reachable during a carrier outage.
- Segmentation. Keep utility plant controls, police and emergency operations systems, building automation and guest Wi-Fi on separate segments.
- Survivable voice and E911. Accurate location data, plus resilient lines for fire panels and emergency phones.
- Backup power for network rooms. The network room needs the same level of backup power as the systems it serves.
Install considerations & timeline
| Stage | What to settle |
|---|---|
| Site work / foundations | Order primary fiber. Lock in building entrances and conduit routes. |
| Structure / MEP rough-in | Walk pathways and equipment rooms. Pick roof and mount locations. Confirm backup power for network rooms. |
| Pre-turnover | Certify cabling. Set up Wi-Fi, firewall, failover and E911. Run a live cutover test. |
| Turnover / occupancy | Hand over as-builts and labeling. Set up monitoring for both links. |
Related
Commercial Starlink installation in Austin · Starlink for property developers · Dedicated fiber in Austin · Starlink failover for business · Construction connectivity
Frequently asked questions
What is the TAMUCT CORE facility?
According to Hoar Construction, CORE (Centralized Operational Reliability and Efficiency) is a single-story, 36,000-square-foot facility at Texas A&M University-Central Texas in Killeen that houses the University Police Department, an Emergency Operations Center and the campus Central Utility Plant.
Why does an emergency operations and utility building need internet failover?
Dispatch, cameras, access control and utility controls all depend on the network. Two fiber routes can share local infrastructure, while a satellite backup does not, so critical systems stay reachable during a carrier outage.
When should connectivity be planned on a new building?
Early, during site work or foundations, because fiber circuits have the longest lead times. Pathways and equipment rooms are easiest to settle by MEP rough-in, and failover should be tested before turnover.
Can Starlink be used as a business internet backup?
Yes. A Starlink terminal connected to a firewall with automatic failover takes over when the primary fiber drops. Because it doesn't share buried infrastructure, it protects against cuts and local carrier outages.
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