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Internet First & Broadband Services

   

Internet First and Broadband Services

Global demand for Internet transport, including broadband, continues to increase dramatically. Ever growing volumes of Internet traffic, as well as the greater use of SaaS and cloud services that don’t require backhauling all traffic to your data center, are primary drivers. This increase is also being driven by enterprise adoption of cloud-first architectures, and specifically SD-WAN solutions, that promise reduced costs, quicker set-up and re-configuration, enhanced security and network performance and significantly improved visibility of application performance over the network.

“Internet First” strategies rely on much greater use of Internet network transport rather than dedicated network transport such as MPLS. This transport can range from dedicated Internet access to various flavors of broadband services such as cable, FTTP, fixed wireless and non-terrestrial networks (NTN). Each has different characteristics that need to be harmonized into an effective overall network strategy.

Picking the right mix of Internet network transport to deliver services to sites and users in a cost-effective way requires effective design and thoughtful sourcing strategies to support the transition from legacy transport.

At one extreme, chasing low-cost broadband circuits can leave an enterprise with many different suppliers, with varying quality in terms of service provision and performance, and can become a technology debt problem for the future. At the other end of the spectrum, enterprises can slip into expensive, one-stop provisioning with their existing carrier. Striking the right balance between the extremes and the alternatives is critical if an enterprise is to capitalize on the continually falling cost per megabit without, ultimately, negatively impacting the user experience.

The ability to procure more bandwidth at a lower cost per Mbps is a global trend. The pace of bandwidth increases for the same or lower cost will likely continue to accelerate, regardless of whether it’s dedicated Internet access circuits with the highest bandwidths or business broadband circuits that are now delivering symmetrical bandwidth. All too frequently, we see order of magnitude variations between what an enterprise is paying and the bandwidth they could get for the same price.

How you move forward is influenced by many factors, including:

  • Enterprise geography
  • Existing supplier relationships and contractual constraints
  • The starting point in terms of networking technologies
  • Current and future state bandwidth demands
  • Knowledge of the market

Ultimately, an enterprise must get to a point where it has the most effective mix of suppliers and transport technologies for its specific needs. In the past, MPLS and DIA dominated this mix, but today broadband is an integral service option to satisfy networking demands and enabling the SD-WAN business case. Broadband services now provide improved service levels with greater reliability. In addition, with many new entrants and long-term providers expanding their footprint, the availability of broadband infrastructure to deliver service to hard-to-reach locations or provide network resiliency is easier than ever.

We have significant experience assisting enterprises navigating these decisions and developing coherent network design and Internet first sourcing strategies. More information regarding TC2’s broadband advisory services is available here.