Continuity Planning
From hospitals and data centers to retail and manufacturing — a tested business continuity plan ensures internet, power, and communications stay on no matter what.
Business Continuity Planning (BCP) is the process of creating systems and procedures that allow a business to continue operating during and after a major disruption. For internet and power, BCP focuses on ensuring that communications, transactions, and data access remain available no matter what happens to your primary infrastructure.
For mission-critical industries — data centers, hospitals, manufacturing, and emergency services — BCP is not optional. Data centers depend on reliable power for every server rack. Hospitals depend on power for ventilators, surgical equipment, and electronic health record (EHR) access. Manufacturing lines stop producing (and may lose expensive work-in-progress) the moment power fails. In each case, a layered BCP covering both power and connectivity is the difference between a manageable event and a catastrophic one.
A strong BCP defines specific backup systems at each layer: a UPS for instant bridge power (milliseconds), an automatic transfer switch (ATS) that brings a standby generator online without manual intervention, a permanent generator with adequate fuel for 72–96 hours of operation, and diverse internet paths on different providers and technologies. Larger facilities with multiple generators use parallel switchgear to allow units to start simultaneously and share load — meeting the 10-second requirement even under complex configurations.
The plan must also define who activates each system, how staff communicate if primary channels fail, where operations move if the building is inaccessible, and how customers are served during the disruption.
Essential systems and procedures for internet, power, and communications continuity.
At minimum: a primary internet connection with SLA, an automatic failover backup on a different technology (LTE, fixed wireless, or satellite), a UPS for instant bridge power, an automatic transfer switch, a standby generator with 72–96 hours of fuel, defined communication protocols, and documented roles for who activates each system.
Diesel generators are most common in BCP applications — reliable, fast-starting, and available in a wide range of sizes. Natural gas units eliminate fuel storage but depend on utility supply remaining intact. Bi-fuel (diesel + gas) units offer the best of both. Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) provide instantaneous bridge power for the gap between outage and generator start. Leading manufacturers: Caterpillar, Cummins, Generac Industrial, mtu (Rolls-Royce).
An ATS monitors your incoming utility power and automatically connects your generator to your electrical system within seconds of detecting an outage — without any manual intervention. Without an ATS, someone must physically start and connect the generator, which takes minutes and introduces human error. For any BCP, an ATS is non-negotiable.
BCP focuses on keeping operations running during a disruption. Disaster recovery focuses on restoring systems after a disruption. BCP is proactive; DR is reactive. Most organizations need both — BCP keeps you operational during a storm, DR brings you back after the building floods.
At minimum annually with a full simulation test. NFPA requires weekly generator inspections and monthly load tests for healthcare. Table-top exercises should happen quarterly for high-risk industries. Any major system change triggers a BCP review.
A primary fiber or cable connection, a secondary connection on a different technology (4G/5G LTE or fixed wireless), and an emergency satellite option (Starlink) for regional disasters. Each connection should be on a different physical path with a different provider. SD-WAN platforms can manage all three simultaneously and failover automatically.