Planning for the unexpected: Why network resilience needs a rethink

Traditionally, network planning has focused on speed and capacity. But recent events have highlighted a more pressing need: continuity. From full-scale blackouts to subtle service degradations – what we often refer to as brownouts – connectivity failures are now among the most common and costly business risks.

Brownouts, in particular, pose a unique challenge. They don’t bring systems down entirely, but they introduce instability: dropped calls, frozen screens, timeouts, and slow application performance. Often, they go unnoticed until the business impact becomes visible – lost productivity, frustrated customers, or data inconsistency.

In fact, more than 60% of network brownouts go undetected by IT operations, and their costs add up – causing an average of $420,000 in lost revenue for companies, according to a white paper by Juniper Networks (Understanding Network Brownouts, juniper.net). This hidden threat makes proactive monitoring and response even more critical.

What’s clear is that many organisations are still depending on single-provider, single-path network setups, which leave them exposed to unnecessary risk.

As network professionals, we need to move the conversation from connectivity to continuity – and that requires embracing network diversity.

True resilience means planning for failure.

It involves:

• • Deploying alternate routes and technologies (e.g., fixed and wireless paths)
  • Implementing intelligent failover mechanisms
  • Monitoring performance proactively – not just availability
  • Regularly testing disaster recovery procedures, not just designing them

Beyond infrastructure, operational readiness plays a crucial role. Real Quality Monitoring through Network Operations Centers (NOC) and Security Operations Centers (SOC) can significantly reduce the time to detect, troubleshoot, and resolve network issues. By providing real-time visibility and analytics, these systems help isolate problems faster, often before they escalate into user-facing incidents. This not only protects revenue and reputation but also strengthens the overall continuity posture.

Importantly, resilience does not have to mean high cost or complex infrastructure. With today’s technologies and flexible service models, even SMEs can implement layered, effective solutions without major capital expenditure. In many cases, the cost of preparedness is far less than the cost of an unplanned outage.

As business environments become more volatile, and digital expectations continue to rise, resilience should be treated as a core component of business continuity – not an afterthought.

For any organisation reviewing its current setup, the key question is simple: If your primary connection failed right now, what happens next?

If the answer isn’t clear, it may be time to re-evaluate.

The author is head of networking at Northstar Telecom, a licensed provider in Bahrain specialising in network diversity and continuity planning for organisations of all sizes