What telecom operators can learn from recent network outages

Telecom networks sit at the centre of how people connect, pay, travel, and work. When a network outage hits, the disruption spreads fast. A faulty update or a single routing issue that once caused a small problem can now slow major services – so much depends on these shared networks.

Telecom Tech News spoke with Reuben Koh, Director of Security Technology & Strategy at Akamai, to understand why outages have become so disruptive, and what telecom operators and enterprises can do to limit the damage.

The same network errors – but far bigger outage consequences

Koh says most large outages still start the same way they always have: a misconfiguration, a software bug, or a hardware problem. But the difference now is how tightly connected everything is.

“Major internet outages often stem from recurring root causes like misconfigurations during routine updates, software bugs, and hardware failures,” he says. The issues used to affect only a few applications, but now move through shared routing layers, central cloud regions, and common identity systems.

What used to be a local failure can become a national or global outage as so much sits on the same small group of platforms. The result is more downtime and a wider blast radius.

Too much dependence on a few major platforms

Koh points out that many organisations – including telecom operators – rely heavily on a narrow set of cloud and SaaS platforms. “Outages are a reminder that many businesses have concentrated too much of their digital infrastructure on a small number of cloud, SaaS, and network platforms,” he says.

The concentration means a single cloud region or single provider issue can affect multiple dependent services. It also gives attackers a clearer target, since centralised systems create fewer but more tempting points of failure.

Why distributed and edge-based design matters for network stability

Telecom operators already understand large-scale delivery, but the pressure on their networks keeps rising as more services sit on cloud-based systems tied to important infrastructure.

Koh believes distributed compute and edge architecture can help contain disruptions. He makes it clear there is no such thing as being “outage-proof,” but there are ways to limit how far a problem spreads.

“A simpler method is to redesign the deployment of compute functions in a globally distributed edge infrastructure,” he says. By shifting compute into many smaller nodes, each node acts on its own. If one fails, users can still reach nearby nodes.

He describes it as turning the network into a group of autonomous cells. Traffic moves to the closest healthy location, reducing choke points and giving engineers time to fix issues without bringing down the whole system.

The model also cuts latency for services like payments and gaming while bringing security controls closer to users.

How outages hit daily life – and why telecom networks feel it first

Telecom networks underpin much of modern life, so when they fail, the disruption is immediate. Koh points to recent events in Australia as an example. A nationwide telecom outage cut off mobile and fixed services for more than 10 million people. “The event prompted regulatory scrutiny and reforms around important infrastructure and emergency roaming obligations.”

Outages also slow or halt systems that depend on telecom networks, including ticketing, parcel tracking, government services, and emergency calls. When these services fail together, the sense of disruption grows.

Koh says the deeper impact is the loss of confidence that lingers even after services return: People expect constant access, and outages shake that expectation.

The regulatory shift: cloud failure as a national issue

Telecom regulators are now paying close attention to cloud concentration, since many telecom and national systems now run on top of the same global cloud platforms.

Koh highlights examples in APAC and beyond. Singapore is treating cloud infrastructure as essential national computing, while Australia is warning banks and insurers about depending too much on a few US-based hyperscalers. Japan is tightening expectations around third-party cloud risk. Europe and the US are pushing firms to show they can keep going even if their main cloud platform fails.

In summary, Koh says regulators now see cloud concentration as a systemic risk, not merely an IT issue.

Rethinking continuity planning for telecom networks

Telecom operators cannot assume full uptime, especially when their infrastructure is tied to cloud platforms that could fail. Koh says the mindset needs to shift. “Modern technology stacks are hyper-connected and complex, with digital and physical systems being virtually inseparable.” That means a cloud outage can quickly disrupt core telecom services, which then disrupt everything built on top.

Koh suggests designing for graceful degradation instead of complete loss when something fails. He also encourages diversifying in providers and leaning on global edge infrastructure to reduce single points of failure.

The goal is to build “shock-absorbing” layers through stress testing, architectural improvements, and ongoing updates that keep systems prepared for real-world failures.

New threats: API failures, AI-driven attacks, and unpredictable systems

Telecom operators now face growing risk from APIs and AI-driven attacks. APIs connect billing systems, mobile apps, identity services, partner networks, and backend logic. If they break – or if attackers exploit them – the fallout spreads fast.

Koh notes that “industry evidence increasingly shows APIs are becoming a dominant attack vector.” Because APIs link so many parts of the telecom stack, the damage can be widespread.

He also warns about rising AI-driven bot traffic. According to Akamai’s State of the Internet report, automated attacks have surged, making impersonation, phishing, and identity fraud easier. To prepare, he suggests deep API discovery, strong bot management, and better protection for AI models. He also emphasises human oversight. “Organisations also need to assume that not just people, but AI itself, can behave unpredictably.”

For telecom providers, this means keeping people closely involved in change management and incident response, even as automation grows.

The takeaway for telecom leaders facing future network outages

Failures are unavoidable. But large-scale collapse doesn’t have to be. Koh’s view is that distributed design, better operational habits, wider visibility, and realistic planning are the steps that help networks absorb faults without losing control.

As the telecom sector carries more of society’s core functions, such steps will matter more in the years ahead.

See also: Cloudflare outage highlights enterprise infrastructure dependence

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Tags: cloud, connectivity, internet, networks, outages, Security