Putting Strategic Planning in Perspective

Strategic planning above all must be global, encompassing every major aspect of network
operations. It should also be forward thinking with the establishment of long-term growth
objectives for the network and a roadmap for achieving those objectives. No service offering
should be contemplated without a clear idea of how it will be supported and delivered, and no
expansion plans should be made without some plausible means of acquiring future facilities.
As with any other business enterprise, as little as possible should be left to chance. At the same
time it should be understood that any plan regarding a communications network, especially
one founded by a startup, is ultimately provisional. Too much impinging on the operation cannot
be predicted, including the progress of technology, the evolution of markets, and perhaps,
most of all, changing patterns of usage. In the last analysis the network operator must be
adaptable and alert to the earliest signs of a change in the communications landscape.