Diversity in Internet connectivity

Diversity means that an internet connection is secured across multiple, mutually independent network paths that are physically and logically separated. It is not enough to simply book a second line. What matters is that the main and backup connections do not share the same infrastructure, so they do not run over the same PoP, the same submarine cable or the same backbone. Only this genuine separation ensures that a single fault does not hit both connections at once.

A backup line is a second connection that takes over when the main line fails. But it only protects if it is truly independent. Diversity goes one step further and ensures that the main and backup lines share no infrastructure at any level, neither provider, technology, last mile nor backbone. Many backup lines unknowingly run over the same physical path, which means the intended protection is lost when it matters most.

Diversity can be implemented on several levels. With provider diversity you use different ISPs for the main and backup lines. With technological diversity you combine different transmission paths such as fiber, copper, LTE or satellite. Last-mile diversity separates the feed to the site. Full diversity finally separates every level: last mile, IP addresses, internet gateways, backbones and even submarine cables. The more levels are separated, the lower the risk of a simultaneous outage.

On paper diversity sounds simple: two providers, two technologies. In practice, however, many ISPs share the same physical infrastructure without it being visible from the outside. Without a precise market overview you end up booking two lines that fail together in an emergency. Add to this higher procurement and administration effort, compromises on bandwidth and SLAs, and regional regulations that can restrict individual technologies.

The decisive point is the physical route. Two lines are only independent if they share neither last mile, PoP, gateway, backbone nor submarine cable. This cannot be read from the provider name, because many providers rely on the same wholesale input. What is needed is a comparison of the actual routing, ideally with KMZ data or route information. SAVECALL checks this independence vendor-neutral through its carrier network before recommending a solution.

SAVECALL supports the entire process chain, from procurement and management to the optimization of connectivity. Through a vendor-neutral partner network of more than 80 carriers worldwide, we compare providers, technologies and routing, verify genuine independence and deliver price comparison, SLA analysis and realistic lead times. The result is a connection that stays online even when individual paths fail.