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Monastery of Saint John on Patmos: a new network inside fortress walls

After a lightning strike destroyed the old telephone system and its cabling, NETHEON rebuilt the infrastructure of the Monastery of Saint John the Theologian on Patmos: more than 6 km of shielded cable and fibre, two server rooms, VoIP telephony and Wi-Fi 6 – operated as a managed service.

Customer
Holy Monastery of Saint John the Theologian
Location
Patmos, Greece
Cable installed
6 km+
New server rooms
2
Indoors and outdoors
Wi-Fi 6
Monastery founded
1088

01 Challenge

Founded in 1088 by Hosios Christodoulos, the Monastery of Saint John the Theologian has been a place of pilgrimage and Orthodox learning for more than nine centuries. Together with the Chora of Patmos and the Cave of the Apocalypse it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999. Its library and museum, its administration and the daily life of the monastic community are housed within a fortified enclosure that resembles a castle more than a building complex.

A lightning strike destroyed the monastery's old telephone system together with its cabling. A replacement had to be more than a like-for-like repair: the new infrastructure needed to withstand future storms, provide fast internet for administration, communal areas and visitors, and work in a place without any fixed-line connection from a provider.

  • Protection against lightning: cabling shielded against energy discharges during thunderstorms
  • Historic building fabric: thick walls, vaults and courtyards of a fortified monastery, to be treated with the utmost care
  • No fixed-line internet: neither ADSL nor fibre connections are available on site
  • Many areas, one network: monks' cells, administration offices, library, museum, communal areas and visitor Wi-Fi

02 Solution

In 2025 NETHEON planned and implemented a complete new infrastructure, adapted to the structure of the monastery.

  • Shielded cabling: more than 6 km of CAT6A S/FTP copper cable and fibre were newly installed. The shielded cabling protects the network against energy discharges caused by thunderstorms.
  • Two new server rooms: central technology is housed in two newly created server rooms that connect the different parts of the monastery.
  • VoIP telephony: a new IP telephone system replaces the destroyed installation and serves all areas, including the monks' cells.
  • Wi-Fi 6: R&S LANCOM access points indoors and outdoors cover the library, the museum, the communal areas and the administration offices.
  • Internet over 4G+: as there is no ADSL or fibre connection, an R&S LANCOM 4G+ multi-WAN router connects the monastery to the internet.
  • Managed services: NETHEON monitors the infrastructure, maintains it and provides support.

03 Outcome

The monastery now has a modern, protected infrastructure that respects its historic structure.

  • Telephony restored: all areas, including the monks' cells, are connected to the new VoIP system.
  • Fast internet: administration, communal areas and visitors have reliable Wi-Fi, despite the absence of a fixed line.
  • Protected against storms: shielded copper and fibre cabling reduce the risk of damage from lightning.
  • Continuous care: as a managed service, the infrastructure is monitored and maintained by NETHEON.

Technology

Services