5 Ways Buying Local Builds Better-Than-Ever Wholesale Carrier Connectivity
Wholesale carriers, like everyone in this vital and fast-growing telecom industry, have a big job to do when it comes to expanding coverage and delivering connectivity at scale. As the demands on networks and the sophisticated applications they enable become larger and more complex, so too does the process of procuring and deploying rich connections across ever-growing footprints.
Market demand for fast, reliable connectivity is at an all-time high — and the timelines on which this resource (now seen as the fourth utility) must be provisioned are tightening due to aggressive competition in the digital business space. Nevertheless, the goal for any large, incumbent wholesaler is not just to deliver the right technical results, but also to continue increasing footprints and building a robust fabric of connectivity to both support their own growth trajectories and those of their customers.
Here’s the truth about that: The ubiquity of a truly strong connectivity fabric cannot just rest on the backs of high-traffic, centralized urban hubs — after all, there exists a whole world of communities, businesses and users in between. Who is connecting them?
In the pursuit of maximized connectivity on the grand scale, it turns out that local efforts (and the network provider partners that support them) have a major role to play that wholesale carriers must harness.
For Network Innovation, Think Location, Location, Location
Large wireless carriers accomplish a significant lift in the pursuit of widespread connectivity, amassing thousands upon thousands of miles of network routes, deploying nodes and creating infrastructure systems that deliver vital connectivity.
These massive networks, created by strategic procurement of shared infrastructure and services from a range of expert network partners, are defined by their ability to deliver readily available services regardless of where customers go. The old “can you hear me now” shtick many of us know and love still rings true; the primacy of go-anywhere mobility is even more important in our wholly digital world. This means that, to build success, wholesale carriers can’t just prioritize high-traffic routes and areas.
For the sake of equal access and equitable distribution of opportunity, every wholesale carrier must now think just as much about what their hyper-local and rural footprints look like as they do about their core metro markets. However, even beyond doing good for good’s sake, thinking about how to build the future of connectivity through the local and underserved perspective also pays dividends in the world of route diversity for major metros too.
Now, truly innovative and forward-thinking wholesale carriers are seeing the value of local partners as cornerstones of their national footprints.
Local Partners for Large-Scale Connectivity Wins
In the pursuit of superior wholesale carrier networks, regional and local network experts are like the mortar that binds together stones (or core metro markets) in a structure. Sure, if you’re trying to build a wall, placing large, heavy stones together works. However, it’s not as reliable, stable or effective as it should be. It’s the same philosophy when cobbling together connectivity fabrics. Playing solely to the strengths of major centralized hubs can work. However, it doesn’t insulate against the natural mobility of our world and the ongoing edge-centric dispersion of demand it creates (not to mention, it means the organization is not fulfilling its role as a steward of change in closing digital divides). In short: Without local network partners, wholesale carriers leave people out — and their network results aren’t as strong as they could be.
To break it down further, we’ve outlined five key advantages of partnering with local and regional network providers:
- Enhanced Coverage and Reach
In the pursuit of new network horizons, the value of local providers’ infrastructure and coverage in specific geographic areas can’t be overstated. These localized footprints powerfully contribute to areas that national carriers may not cover comprehensively. In this way, local providers allow national wholesale carriers to expand their service footprint and offer more extensive coverage to their customers.
- Improved Service Quality and Compliance
No one knows their way around a community like a native — and this is a clear service and operational edge that local providers can supply to wholesale carriers. Offering deep understandings of local conditions, including topography, population density, and infrastructure challenges, local expertise from a trusted partner contributes to better service quality and reliability in those areas, which is crucial for maintaining customer satisfaction and operational efficiency. Not to mention, local providers put down roots — which means advantageous relationships cultivated with businesses, government agencies and community organizations. This paves the way for easier compliance with local licensing and regulatory requirements, generating valuable simplicity
- Cost Efficiency
In tight economic climates, everyone dearly knows the value of a dollar. Fortunately, selecting local network partners is a cost-effective way to expand coverage compared to building and maintaining infrastructure from scratch in every region. It allows national wholesale carriers to leverage existing infrastructure and resources, reducing capital expenditures and operational costs associated with network expansion.
- Flexibility and Agility
Did we mention that mobility and agility are key? If not, we’re going to hammer on it again here: Local providers can offer flexibility in service delivery and customization that better meet specific local needs and preferences. This agility is significantly beneficial for national wholesale carriers looking to offer tailored solutions or respond quickly to market demands in different regions — which is a key advantage in a mobile, fast-paced world.
- Diversity and Reliability
Not only do local providers often offer specialized services or niche solutions that national carriers may not provide directly (helping to expand service portfolios), but their physical infrastructure empowers critical diversity for connectivity too. Offering unique routes for access to major metros and beyond, this delivers key failover options in the case of an outage on core pathways. This keeps services up and customers happy.
Want to see how these benefits can directly translate into value for your wholesale business? We’re here to help — and we want to get to know your requirements (and see how our extensive local footprint across Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Ohio and Maryland can help).
Check out our wholesale and carrier services here.