The Verizon Outage: A Warning Sign for Network Reliability in the Age of Software
In a startling event that left millions of Verizon users without service, a significant outage disrupted calls, internet access, and connections nationwide. Lasting nearly eight hours, this incident has sparked widespread concern about the reliability of modern telecom networks, prompting both analysts and users to question the viability of traditional reliability benchmarks in today's software-driven landscape.
Implications of the Verizon Outage
As service was restored, Verizon promptly issued apologies and attempted damage control, hoping to retain its subscriber base. The company announced a $20 credit for affected accounts, an approach criticized for its inequity; larger accounts with multiple lines received the same credit as individual users. Some customers managed to negotiate for higher credits, reflecting dissatisfaction and the ongoing need for better communication from the network provider.
Roger Entner, founder of Recon Analytics, estimated that around 1.5 million Verizon subscribers were impacted by the outage. He speculated that a minor software update to the 5G standalone core gone awry was likely the culprit behind this widespread service disruption. Experts in 5G technology, including Sanjoy Paul, who holds a PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Rice University, have pointed out that reliability in software-based cellular networks is inherently lower than previously established metrics.
Insights from Experts
Dr. Sanjoy Paul explains, "When you open up your cellphone and you want to connect to the internet through the cellular network, there are about 20 signaling messages that happen even before you get to send the first bit through the wireless network. If any one of those messages encounters an issue, the connection will fail." This situation underscores a critical shift in how we understand network reliability.
The concept of five-nines reliability—availability 99.999% of the time—means that a network could only experience 5.26 minutes of downtime in a year. However, with the transition to software-based provisioning, this reliability may dip to three-nines (99.9%), potentially allowing for over eight hours of downtime annually. Unfortunately, Verizon's outage exceeded even this figure, raising alarm among users and experts alike.
Is the Era of Five-Nines Reliability Over?
With previous outages among the major U.S. carriers averaging around 10 hours, it raises the question of whether the five-nines reliability standard is becoming obsolete. Dr. Paul highlights the stark differences between hardware-based and cloud-native networks, where virtual changes can be rapidly implemented but also carry the risk of systemic failure due to faulty software. Such vulnerabilities could lead to more frequent outages like the one faced by Verizon last week, emphasizing the need for greater scrutiny and improvement in network reliability.
