Mission Readiness Through Network Resilience: Redesigning Backup Connectivity for Defense Agencies 

This podcast episode, which was first published on Government Technology Insider, explores how defense agencies are modernizing their approach to mission readiness and network resilience through the PACE framework. Experts from Verizon discussed the critical gaps in traditional backup connectivity strategies and why wireless is becoming essential. Key takeaways from the podcast are: 

• Traditional redundancy models create hidden single points of failure when primary and backup networks share physical pathways, power infrastructure, or wholesale providers 
• True path diversity requires multi-layered PACE strategy combining fiber, 5G, private wireless, and satellite connectivity to ensure mission readiness

Defense agencies have long assumed that having a secondary network is enough to ensure resilience, but reality is far more complex. A single disruption, like a construction accident or flood, can take everything offline at once when primary and secondary networks share the same physical pathways, the same conduit, middle-mile provider, or even the same power source. This is where traditional approaches to backup connectivity fall short, and why agencies are rethinking frameworks like Primary, Alternate, Contingency, and Emergency (PACE) and relying more on wireless connectivity to build in a true path diversity that legacy backup strategies weren’t designed to deliver.  

In this episode of the Government Technology Insider podcast, host Matt Langan discussed the limitations of traditional redundancy models and how wireless is becoming a critical layer of network resilience for the Department of War with Verizon experts Dave Stepp, Associate Director of Federal Sales Engineering, and Chris Ru​s​sell, Distinguished Architect. They discussed how the PACE framework fits into modern network architecture with 5G, private wireless, and low earth orbit satellites as alternate and contingency options. Additionally, they also dove into the hidden single points of failure that often undermine redundant networks, including shared power infrastructure and wholesale middle-mile providers. The danger is real and often invisible, as Stepp explained:

“But think about a backhoe or excavator working on a sidewalk, and a pipe happens to be underneath it. If that piece of machinery strikes the conduit the wrong way, not only is your primary affected, but any secondary, alternate, or other backup are affected in that same strike.” 

Listen to the full podcast now.