Welcome to the second episode in our three-part series catching up on the most interesting stories in telecom from 2025, and looking forward to what we expect in 2026.
(If you're just joining, you can go back and check out our first episode on transport network developments.)
While we hear a lot about automated provisioning and NaaS, how long does it really take to get a quote for DIA service?
Or more to the point: how long does it take to actually get a circuit installed?
And what do enterprises really think of their ISPs?
We're breaking down how AI might impact enterprise networks in data-driven deep dives. Using TeleGeography’s WAN Cost Benchmark—a customized platform that makes it easy to model and track your WAN network costs—we're modeling potential real-life network setups and configurations for AI.
How AI will impact enterprise networks is a huge topic that we're tackling in a multi-part series. In these posts, we're comparing the total cost of ownership (TCO) of a legacy MPLS network—one that still represents many multinationals’ WANs in 2025—to various hybrid or internet-first alternatives designed to accommodate changes brought by AI and cloud.
It’s been almost a decade since SD-WAN burst onto the scene, and the service is undeniably a critical component of today’s enterprise WAN.
The core benefits associated with SD-WAN technology are consistent across all provider offerings—reduced cost and network complexity, ease of upgrades and policy changes, increased flexibility and network performance, and increased visibility into application performance.
But a dizzying array of SD-WAN service options still remain in the market.
Providers continue to add new service and security features to distinguish themselves in a crowded marketplace. And this multitude of different service options are reflected in the range of reported prices in the market.
Luckily, there is a light at the end of the tunnel: TeleGeography’s 2025 SD-WAN Vendor Guide.
Today on TeleGeography Explains the Internet, we welcome Michael Martin, formerly a global network and security architect at McKinsey.
Michael has extensive experience and knowledge in the enterprise network space. I wanted to get his take on the industry's state of implementation of network automation among enterprises.
We're pumped to have Dennis Thankachan, Co-Founder and CEO of Lightyear, back on TeleGeography Explains the Internet.
Last time Dennis joined us on the show, we dug into Lightyear's approach to creating a digital telecom lifecycle automation platform for enterprise networks.
This time, we discuss their State of Connectivity Report, which dovetails nicely with many of the issues we research here at TeleGeography. (Perhaps this read is a perfect companion to our State of the Network? A match made in heaven, etc.)
What do you envision when you think of data in motion? It's a beautiful, abstract idea.
Vinay Prabhu, Director of Product Management at Graphiant is our latest guest on TeleGeography Explains the Internet. He recently joined us to discuss the intricacies of moving data around the globe.
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