The Blog

So far, we’ve looked at integrating DIA and business broadband into a hybrid WAN. But there are a host of other network services that corporate networks teams have employed in their network transformations.

Our next scenario represents an Internet-first WAN with data center sites, a BYOB (bring your own backbone), if you will.

This customer may be someone with their own servers looking to build a fiber loop around the globe to connect them, even if they are at a neutral facility. 

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Greg Bryan

If you want to do a proper review of the state of the corporate WAN—in light of digital transformation, cloud, SD-WAN adoption, and MPLS utilization—there's no one better to talk to than Phil Gervasi, Director of Technical Evangelism at Kentik.

Lucky for me, he was this week's guest on TeleGeography Explains the Internet.

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Greg Bryan

Use of the internet in corporate WANs is quickly growing. And for good reason.

Not only are internet services such as DIA and broadband cheaper than MPLS, many of the SaaS applications and cloud services that enterprises have adopted have been optimized to work over local internet connections rather than through central internet breakouts.

In addition, SD-WAN has emerged as a tool that allows WAN managers to incorporate these lower cost internet services into their network without sacrificing performance or security. But not every network site (or enterprise customer) is a good fit for an all internet WAN.

In our next two scenarios, we take an approach that we see many enterprises taking—designating network sites into tiers and assigning different network services to each tier. This allows companies to add in local internet breakouts at most offices, but keep some MPLS at higher priority sites that need service level assurances. 

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Brianna Boudreau

Back in 2019, we built a hypothetical network to illustrate how different network configurations might affect total cost of ownership (TCO).

Now that it's nearly 2023, we got to thinking, if Cheaper By the Dozen can get a reboot, why can't our hypothetical network series?

So here we are. The world has changed a lot in the last three years, and WAN managers are also facing a number of changes.

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Greg Bryan

There’s a remarkable sense of uncertainty in the data center sector right now.

Some of the biggest global markets have seen unprecedented disruption to data center development as regulators and utility companies attempt to work through critical issues surrounding the long-term sustainability of the industry. 

At the same time, the war in Ukraine has fueled tremendous volatility in European wholesale power prices, bringing further stress to an industry that’s fundamentally dependent on vast amounts of power. Let’s unpack the current situation.

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Jon Hjembo

The second most populous nation in the world, India, also boasts the world’s second-largest mobile market, with almost 1.15 billion subscriptions at the end of June 2022, according to TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database.

The country’s mobile customers are getting access to 5G services for the first time this month following the widely anticipated launch.

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Pete Bell

It's kind of an inside joke among telecom insiders.

We've all had that conversation with a friend or family member where we've told them the hard truth: the internet is actually made up of wires and satellite plays a very minor role in global communications!

Okay. This remains true, but today on TeleGeography Explains the Internet we're going to flip the script and look to the sky. Let's do it. Let's talk satellites!

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Greg Bryan

With the recent damage to the Nord Stream gas pipeline, there's been lots of talk about the potential risk to submarine telecommunications cables in Europe.

This incident has led to speculation about whether it would be possible to somehow “cut off” Europe from the rest of the world. While I don't want to speculate on the risk of sabotage, I did think it would be worthwhile to explain exactly how the continent connects to the rest of the world. 

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Alan Mauldin

Hello podcast listeners. It's Tuesday, which means there's a new episode of TeleGeography Explains the Internet hot off the press.

Our latest guest is Waheed Adam, Global Board Director of the Mobile Ecosystem Forum and Executive Chairperson at iTouch Messaging Service. He was a fantastic guest who brought a wealth of knowledge—and some really excellent stories—about mobile adoption as infrastructure in Africa.

Punch the play button below if you'd like to hear his chat with host Greg Bryan and Senior Research Manager Patrick Christian.

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Jayne Miller