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  • Over the past five weeks, we've endeavored to explain precisely how data moves around the world, covering the basics of internet, transport networks, data centers, and the cloud along the way.

    Today we answer our final, lingering question: What is a WAN?

    First, let's get definitions out of the way. WAN stands for wide area network, which came out of the term LAN, or local area network.

    Today's episode will help you brush up on the evolution of the WAN. We'll also hear from Brianna Boudreau, TeleGeography's current SD-WAN guru.

    From This Episode:

    What is the Internet?What is a Transport Network?What Are Data Centers?What is the Cloud?Episode 508 | How Geography Influences Network SecurityEpisode 501 | Are These WAN Sourcing Trends Real or Just Hype?Episode 425 | Surveying the WANscapeEpisode 421 | What Makes a WAN Truly Secure?Download the WAN Manager Survey Executive SummaryWhat SD-WAN Is and How It’s Deployed
  • You may have heard a popular saying: There is no cloud, only other people’s computers.

    To explain how it works, Senior Research Manager Patrick Christian joins us to talk cloud. We explain what it means to get something "as-a-service," hyperscalers, CDNs, and how companies get to the cloud.

    From This Episode:

    What is the Internet?What is a Transport Network?What Are Data Centers?Explore our Cloud Infrastructure MapEpisode 510 | Head in the Cloud, Toes at the EdgeEpisode 505 | It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Super CloudEpisode 410 | A Telecom Year in Review, Part 1Episode 304 | Understanding the Multicloud-Verse of Madness
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  • We're back at it with episode three of our five-part podcast special that explains the nuts and bolts of the internet. We haven’t yet covered exactly how and where those networks meet and exchange traffic with each other and access their destinations.

    So today, it's data center time.

    Senior Research Manager Jon Hjembo was on hand to help us work through data center types, their defining features, and what happens inside these facilities. We talk about who owns these structures and how their geography informs the way the internet works.

    From This Episode:

    What is the Internet?What is a Transport Network?Episode 508 | How Geography Influences Network SecurityEpisode 410 | A Telecom Year in Review, Part 1Episode 402 | Data Centers and the Opportunity at the EdgeEpisode 308 | Data Centers and Digital TransformationWhere in the World Is the Largest Data Center Hub?Does 70% of the World’s Internet Traffic Flow Through Virginia?
  • Welcome back to our five-part podcast special that literally explains how the internet you know and love works.

    Last week we covered the most basic question: what is the internet?

    Today, we tunnel deeper, exploring the physical transport networks behind this seemingly invisible, omnipresent information superhighway. Plus we get a little help from TeleGeography's own Paul Brodsky, Peter Wood, and Lane Burdette for this one

    From This Episode:

    What is the Internet?Explore our Submarine Cable MapEpisode 503 | The Total Transformation of Latin American TelecomEpisode 424 | What Happens to Cables When The Earth Moves Under Our Feet?Episode 418 | Behind the Seas: Making Our Famous Submarine Cable MapEpisode 416 | The Death of Voice Has Been Greatly ExaggeratedEpisode 404 | What Role Do Satellites Play in Global Communication?
  • What is the internet? Simply put, the internet is a network of computers.

    Computers can only understand two things: on and off. Everything that we do on the internet is in binary—a series of 1s and 0s representing on and off—which gives instructions to your computer to do all the amazing things it does.

    This means that the very bottom of the internet is a system for sending those 1s and 0s over wires (or spectrum in some cases). Whatever you do on the internet—email, videos, chats—the information is translated into that binary by your devices and then transmitted via packets.

    We cover this process and lots more in the first episode of our five-part special to, well, literally explain the internet.

  • On TeleGeography Explains the Internet, we often focus on the long-haul, zeroing in on the network portion of telecoms. Today, with the help of Tiago Rodrigues, President and CEO of the Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA), we’re switching things up a bit.

    Drawing upon his vast expertise in the Wi-Fi space, Tiago steps into the hot seat to outline the key issues in the wireless LAN.

    This episode considers Wi-Fi 6, 6E, and 7 developments, OpenRoaming™ that allows seamless connection across different Wi-Fi networks, and Wi-Fi’s role in emerging solutions like NaaS.

    We also discuss the digital divide and how to best use the limited resource of spectrum to ensure connectivity in our increasingly digital world.

    From This Episode:

    WBA Annual Industry Report 2024Episode 504 | How NaaS Relates to SDN and AutomationEpisode 409 | The Digital Divide EpisodeEpisode 402 | Data Centers and the Opportunity at the EdgeEpisode 315 | How Enterprises Are Implementing NaaS (And Leaving MPLS)Episode 313 | The Need for NaaS
  • Today we welcome Nokia's Paul Unbehagen to the pod.

    Paul has a deep history in the networking world, so he approaches his role at Nokia—NE Americas CTO—from the perspective of a network engineer.

    Although our main topics this week are enterprise cloud and right-sizing cloud utilization, we use those as a springboard into many topics circling the state of the network in 2023.

    We touch on the history of the enterprise’s move into the cloud and why some companies have reevaluated their cloud strategy in recent years.

    As it so often does, the geography of the cloud comes up, along with Paul’s take on location and design in the cloud. This brings us to the edge—not only what it means and where it is, but some of the new and exciting use cases of what edge computing facilitates.

    Embedded in that conversation is also 5G and how mobile can push the network into being a central part of the business. And we can’t resist bringing up AI/ML.

    From This Episode

    The price of managed cloud servicesX celebrates 60% savings from cloud exitRead @XEng postEpisode 509 | Why 4G Is Still Relevant for Enterprise ConnectivityEpisode 508 | How Geography Influences Network SecurityEpisode 505 | It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Super CloudEpisode 402 | Data Centers and the Opportunity at the Edge
  • This week on TeleGeography Explains the Internet, we welcome SmartCIC CEO Toby Forman to the show.

    Toby comes to us with a global perspective on the development of fixed wireless access (FWA) and its potential as a disruptive technology in the enterprise connectivity space.

    After nailing down a solid definition of FWA in the market today, we run through the factors to consider when deploying FWA. Toby explains what Cellsmart—a division of SmartCIC focused on FWA—does for service providers and enterprises interested in going through this process.

    Next, Toby offers some real-world use cases and shares how he sees the fixed wireless and wireless markets developing over the next few years, briefly delving into the broader implications of broadband access for economic development around the world.

    This episode should leave you with a deeper understanding of the development of FWA, but also the ability to evaluate and plan for what is coming next.

    From This Episode

    Cellsmart Mapping Project: Heatmap of Tests | Tests By Date | Last 24 Hours Drive TestingEpisode 508 | How Geography Influences Network SecurityEpisode 504 | How NaaS Relates to SDN and AutomationEpisode 219 | NaaS, the Cloud, and the Future of 5G2G and 3G Shutdowns Continue
  • Today’s TeleGeography Explains the Internet guest comes to the security world with a deep background in cloud and networks.

    Joe DePalo is Chief Platform Officer at Netskope, and the ideal person to help us understand how and why location matters in network security.

    We first identify how the network has changed over the past few years, gauging the impact on both the threat landscape and how networks perform generally. Also on the agenda: why middle mile performance and security should be part of the equation, and how lessons learned from the challenges of creating CDNs are instructive about the modern issues in network security.

    Finally, Joe offers a particularly interesting take on a question that comes up often on the podcast—what does it mean to have a WAN in this environment?

    From This Episode

    Episode 505 | It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Super CloudEpisode 421 | What Makes a WAN Truly Secure?Episode 415 | Unpacking Telecom Predictions of the PastEpisode 414 | SASE and SecureEpisode 409 | The Digital Divide EpisodeEpisode 309 | How Do You Solve a Problem Like Middle Mile?
  • Today on TeleGeography Explains the Internet, we're asking the big questions about mobile advertising. Luckily, Ross Flynn of the Mobile Ecosystem Forum is with us to explain, which is exactly what we do on this show.

    Ross has a background in digital advertising, making him the ideal person to walk us through advertising formulas that pair ads with IPs.

    He talks to Greg about programmatic advertising—not just what it is, but how the practice impacts the mobile market. And then we get to the fun stuff: how do these advertising practices actually impact the mobile market? Is mobile advertising evolving? Does it present unique opportunities?

    From This Episode

    About the Mobile Ecosystem ForumEpisode 423: Staying a Step Ahead of Mobile FraudstersMobile Calling’s Share of International Traffic Declinesi3forum Tracks COVID-19 Impact on International Voice TrafficMobile Advertising: Preparing for the Big Re-Set
  • In August we were pumped to join a meeting of the OH Network User Group at the fabulous BrewDog hotel and brewery in Columbus, Ohio. (If you're not familiar with the Network User Association, they're worth checking out.)

    The Ohio chapter kindly agreed to let host Greg Bryan do a live talk on how enterprise WANs are changing and what the implications of those changes are for network costs.

    We brought lots of WAN data, fielded tons of questions, and very much enjoyed the networking vibes in Ohio.

    From This Episode

    How Common SASE Products Are Being OfferedEpisode 501: Are These WAN Sourcing Trends Real or Just Hype?Eight Enterprise Products, ExplainedHow the Cost of Network Ownership Can Change Over TimeSD-What? A Quick Explanation of What SD-WAN Is and How It’s DeployedEpisode 425: Surveying the WANscape
  • We're thrilled to welcome William Collins, Principal Cloud Architect at Alkira, to the pod.

    We asked William to talk us through the history of enterprise cloud and highlight a few of the bigger issues in enterprise cloud networking today. His answers might surprise you.

    We even talk about supercloud—what it is and what the implications are. Grab your super suit and punch the play button to hear the full discussion.

    From This Episode

    Alkira Boosts Global Expansion Efforts for Enterprises with Cloud Exchange Point Presence in ChinaMapping Out Asia’s Cloud Data Center and Connectivity MarketThese Two Regions Account For About 65% of the World’s Cloud Data CentersHow Common SASE Products Are Being OfferedCloud Infrastructure MapCloud and WAN Research Service
  • The newest member of the TeleGeography Explains the Internet club is telecom industry veteran Mark Daley, Epsilon Telecommunications Director of Digital Strategy and Business Development.

    After spending nearly a decade directly involved with SDN and NaaS at Epsilon Telecommunications, Mark is the perfect guest to help us talk through how NaaS is unfolding in the market.

    The pod starts with Mark’s definition of NaaS and where he sees its availability in the current telecom services landscape. He also shares six important NaaS characteristics: visible, configurable, priceable, orderable, deployable, and manageable. (Be sure to write that down.)

    Later, we talk about the history of Epsilon Telecommunications and how its mission became integrated into an incumbent provider.

    From This Episode

    Episode 502 | Why Telecom Service Providers Need To AutomateEpisode 501 | Are These WAN Sourcing Trends Real or Just Hype?Episode 425 | Surveying the WANscapeEpisode 406 | Unraveling the Fabric Providers of RealityEpisode 313 | The Need for NaaSEpisode 219 | NaaS, the Cloud, and the Future of 5G
  • Luis Fiallo has been in the telecom industry for over 25 years. And for the majority of that time, he has been at China Telecom Americas, witnessing the many changes happening in the Latin American telecom market firsthand.

    After years of helping to drive CTA's growth in the region, Luis—now Vice President—has many valuable insights to share with TeleGeography Explains the Internet.

    Peter Wood, TeleGeography’s Senior Analyst covering Latin America, joins to cover the history of networks in the region, going back to the days when even intra-South American traffic tromboned to Miami and back.

    We also discuss the idea of directly connecting developing markets around the world, without passing through the U.S. or Western Europe, and the economic connections between East Asia and Latin America.

    Finally, we talk about the cloud and dig into the areas of the Latin American telecom market that Luis views as the most important to develop in the coming years.

    From This Episode

    Episode 422 | AI Meets The Corporate NetworkEpisode 404 | What Role Do Satellites Play in Global Communication?Episode 310 | How Global Events Impact the InternetGet Acquainted With Our Cloud Infrastructure Map5G Frequency Frenzy: A Guide to Latin America’s Upcoming Spectrum AuctionsLatin American Pricing Takeaways From ITWHas Geopolitical Conflict Between China and the U.S. Caused Their Networks to Disconnect?
  • In both 2021 and 2022, MEF CTO Pascal Menezes joined us on TeleGeography Explains the Internet to talk through the work MEF is doing on standardizing the enterprise network.

    This season, we welcome a new face from the same team, Stan Hubbard, Principal Analyst at MEF.

    Stan recently authored a State of the Industry Report for MEF, so we wanted to have him on to discuss his findings and see where the telecom industry is at with adopting new technologies.

    Stan first explains the drivers in the market and why telecom service providers need to automate to stay relevant and competitive. He then outlines the path carriers can take to achieve this.

    Next, we talk about his report and get details on the state of adoption of automation in the telecom industry, why customized or proprietary APIs are inefficient, the benefits of standardization, how enterprise drives automation, and even how blockchain will be involved in network contracts.

    You can hear about more topics like this at MEF's Global NaaS Event, happening October 2-4, 2023 in Dallas.

    From This Episode

    Global NaaS Event | Register Here (Free for Enterprises)Download the MEF State of the Industry ReportEpisode 408 | Orchestrating the Service LifecycleEpisode 202 | Would an SD-WAN by Any Other Name Smell as Sweet?Episode 406 | Unraveling the Fabric Providers of RealityEpisode 402 | Data Centers and the Opportunity at the Edge
  • Season 5 of TeleGeography Explains the Internet is here, and we're kicking things off with Dennis Thankachan, Co-Founder and CEO at Lightyear.

    Because Dennis is in the unique position of being able to see how enterprises are sourcing networks, we were excited to talk to him about some recent WAN trends.

    This episode gets into the shift to off-premises data centers, hybrid and remote work, the drive to cut network costs through changing technologies, right-sizing networks, and more.

    We also touch on Dennis’ skepticism about some frequently mentioned WAN trends and technologies.

    From This Episode

    Episode 425 | Surveying the WANscapeEpisode 422 | AI Meets The Corporate NetworkEpisode 413 | A Brief History of Networking as a ServiceReal Talk: Are WAN Managers Adopting NaaS?Bonus Episode | The WAN in 2022
  • This week, Season 4 of TeleGeography Explains the Internet ends on a high note with Junior Research Analyst Mei Harrison’s podcast debut.

    As one half of our enterprise team two-man band, Mei is the perfect person to help me talk through results from our recently published WAN Manager Survey.

    We highlight the key trends in multinational corporate networks around the world, covering MPLS vs. DIA use in the underlay, SD-WAN adoption, cloud connectivity, NaaS, and more.

    Listen in for a comprehensive review of what is afoot in the world of WANs—plus a little preview of what we’re looking into next.

    From This Episode

    Download the WAN Manager Survey Executive SummaryDownload Historical WAN Manager Survey ResultsReal Talk: Are WAN Managers Adopting NaaS?Bonus Episode | The WAN in 2022Episode 307 | Insights from the 2021 WAN Manager SurveyAbout TeleGeography’s Cloud and WAN Infrastructure
  • How are submarine cables impacted by tectonic shifts beneath the seafloor?

    This week's guests on TeleGeography Explains the Internet are well-positioned to tell us. They join us from the UK’s National Oceanography Centre: Isobel Yeo, Researcher in Geology and Volcanology, and Michael Clare, Principal Researcher of Ocean BioGeoscience and Marine Environmental Adviser to the International Cable Protection Committee.

    Mike and Izzy are geologists specializing in the seafloor, so their research has become vital for the submarine cable community.

    While most cable faults are due to human activity, a fair number are caused by changes in the seafloor. This includes earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, and even flooding on land.

    We discuss the myriad ways that the dynamic nature of what lies under the surface can damage cables. We even get into the history of natural disasters and communications cables going back a century or more.

    We get into a specific seismic event—the recent Tongan volcanic eruption—as well as ongoing threats to sub cables, including how climate change could increase risks and how we can start to mitigate them.

    From This Episode:

    Episode 310: How Global Events Impact the InternetExplore our 2023 Submarine Cable MapCutting off Europe? A Look at How the Continent Connects to the WorldGloomy Economic Indicators… Scary Future for the Subsea Cable Industry?New Cables Are Coming to AfricaSubmarine Cable FAQs
  • Our guest today is Dario Betti, CEO of the Mobile Ecosystem Forum.

    It's always nice to have industry association folks on the show. I've found they can pull back from the perspective of a single vendor or operator to paint a broader picture of the challenges facing different corners of the telecom industry. This is exactly what Dario does in this interview on all things mobile.

    Dario first explains what the MEF does (and does not do) for its members. But, perhaps more importantly, he provides a great overview of the key issues at play in the global mobile market.

    And what might those issues be?

    We talk about fraud—always needing to stay one step ahead of the bad guys—and what's happening with roaming as carriers turn off 2 and 3G networks. We get into security for mobile networks, meeting ever-increasing mobile bandwidth demand, and 5 and even 6G mobile service.

    From This Episode:

    2G and 3G Shutdowns ContinueTracking 5G Deployments in the Middle East and AfricaMobile Calling’s Share of International Traffic Declinesi3forum Tracks COVID-19 Impact on International Voice TrafficUkrainian Telcos: Communicating Through the Conflict
  • Today’s episode of TeleGeography Explains the Internet is about artificial intelligence. And for that we welcome Kannan Kothandaraman, Co-Founder and CEO at Selector AI.

    With a plethora of cheeky, AI-generated content out there already, we don't have to tell you that AI has been in the news a lot lately. And I know "AI" is a capacious term; this week's conversation focuses on how AI/ML will actually impact telecom networks.

    In fact, we've talked a lot on TeleGeography Explains the Internet about the meaningful changes that have come to corporate networks over the past several years—although it's often in the context of impacting the underlay selection, cloud utilization, security, and other factors.

    Our interview with Kannan is all about how AIOPs (don't worry, we'll define this in the show) are an important tool for meeting the many challenges that come with a reimagined WAN.