BUILDING AN ISP FROM SCRATCH WITHOUT THE PAINFUL MISTAKES
Starting an internet service provider from scratch can feel overwhelming very quickly. Most first time teams focus on buying equipment or getting upstream connectivity, but the real risks appear much earlier. We have seen many new ISPs struggle not because they lacked effort, but because they made the same early mistakes that are hard and expensive to undo later.
One common mistake is designing the network around today’s needs only. Without planning for growth, redundancy, and traffic patterns, the network becomes fragile as soon as customers increase. Another mistake is choosing equipment based on price instead of long term support, performance, and compatibility. Cheap hardware often leads to higher costs through outages, replacements, and limited scalability.
A third issue is ignoring routing and peering strategy at the beginning. BGP design, upstream diversity, and Internet Exchange participation are often treated as future problems, but they directly affect latency, stability, and customer experience from day 1. The 4th mistake is running without clear processes. Without documented procedures for changes, incidents, and maintenance, even a small network becomes difficult to operate safely.
Security is another area where first time ISPs underestimate the effort. DDoS protection, access control, and monitoring are not optional add ons. They are part of the core design. The 6th mistake is underestimating operational workload. Running an ISP requires 24/7 visibility and fast response, even with a small customer base. Finally, many teams wait too long to bring in experienced guidance. By the time issues appear, the cost of fixing the foundation is much higher.
At ITcare, we help teams avoid these early traps by designing scalable architectures, selecting the right equipment, defining routing and peering strategies, and setting up operational processes from the start. With the right guidance, launching an ISP does not have to feel chaotic. It can be structured, predictable, and ready to grow.
