Viewpoints
The invisible backbone of broadband: Why operational resilience must lead the connectivity conversation. Andrian Vișnevschi, the CEO of ITcare, explains.
By: Andrian Vișnevschi, Chief Executive Officer, ITcare
With historic funding in motion, the U.S. has a rare opportunity to redefine what broadband success truly means.
As the U.S. rolls out the largest broadband investment in history through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program – $42.45 billion program aimed at connecting unserved and underserved communities – it’s critical we ask: are we investing enough not just in deployment, but in sustainable, long-term performance?
Around the world, we’ve seen that building a network is only half the equation. The true test lies in how that network performs over time. As broadband becomes essential infrastructure – no different than power or water – its operational resilience must be designed, not assumed.
At ITcare, we’ve had the opportunity to support broadband ecosystems in both the United States and Europe – regions where infrastructure demands and user expectations are among the most complex in the world. From large-scale national rollouts to high-density urban networks, we’ve seen how resilience planning directly correlates with long-term success. In smaller and emerging markets, where resources are limited, the need for intelligent operations is even more critical – but the foundational principles remain the same: design with performance in mind from day one.
Strong networks depend on strong infrastructure
In practice, resilience depends heavily on the strength of a network’s operations model. A modern Network Operations Center is not simply a monitoring hub — it’s a dynamic command layer that enables networks to anticipate, detect, and resolve issues before they impact users. Across diverse deployments, we’ve seen that high-performing NOCs integrate continuous observability, rapid L1-L3 incident response, and intelligent escalation workflows.
In every environment — from urban hubs to rural communities — the strength of a network depends on the operational infrastructure supporting it. A well-designed NOC ensures continuous visibility, rapid incident response, and seamless coordination across complex systems. When embedded early in the network’s lifecycle, this operational layer reduces downtime, improves service quality, and enables providers to scale without compromising reliability. These aren’t abstract ideas — they are foundational to some of the most resilient broadband deployments we’ve had the opportunity to support.
The shift toward outsourcing NOC and network engineering functions is often framed around efficiency – but the larger story is sustainability. For organizations under pressure to do more with less, outsourcing provides access to highly skilled experts, advanced monitoring tools, and 24/7 coverage at a fraction of the cost of building equivalent capabilities internally. It also eliminates hidden overhead: recruiting, training, turnover, and systems integration. For fast-growing providers, or those managing complex transitions, this model delivers both operational excellence and budget predictability — a rare combination in today’s broadband environment.
Network transformations demand deep insight
Whether you’re launching a new ISP, integrating a different technology vendor, optimizing performance, migrating a data center, or building from scratch — network transformation demands deep architectural insight. In these moments, a professional services agreement can offer far greater value than ad hoc solutions. It brings not only technical execution, but strategic alignment, reducing long-term risk while accelerating deployment. We’ve seen time and again that planned, principles-driven engineering — informed by multi-vendor, multi-domain expertise — avoids costly rework and creates networks that scale cleanly with business growth.
This moment presents an opportunity for U.S. stakeholders to lead globally by example. Building a broadband future that lasts means thinking beyond bandwidth and focusing on how networks behave under pressure, how they recover, and how they continue to deliver in the face of disruption.
That’s where design choices matter. The architecture must support flexibility. Teams need tools that enable rapid, informed responses. Operational models should scale — not just in size, but in sophistication. It’s not only about reducing downtime; it’s about making resilience measurable and intentional.
As leaders, we must ask ourselves:
- Are we building systems resilient enough to evolve with the communities they serve?
The answers will shape not only broadband access, but the integrity of the services layered on top of it — education, healthcare, commerce, and civic participation.
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