When the Ice Hits: Why Redundant Internet Circuits Matter More Than You Think

This week’s ice storms across Middle Tennessee and the Nashville area were a reminder of how fragile everyday infrastructure can be. Roads iced over, power flickered, and for many businesses, internet connectivity became unreliable or disappeared altogether.

For organizations that rely on cloud systems, VoIP phones, remote access, or real-time customer service, even a short outage can mean lost revenue, missed opportunities, and frustrated customers. That’s where redundant internet circuits move from “nice to have” to essential.

What Is a Redundant Circuit?

A redundant circuit simply means having more than one internet connection available, ideally from different providers and using different physical paths. If one connection fails due to weather damage, construction cuts, or ISP outages, traffic automatically or manually shifts to the backup connection.

The goal isn’t higher speed. It’s continuity.

Why Ice Storms Expose Single Points of Failure

If your business depends on a single ISP or a single physical line into the building, you are vulnerable to outages that may last hours or even days.

During this week’s storms, many businesses discovered they had no practical fallback when their primary connection went down.

What Effective Redundancy Looks Like

True redundancy isn’t just “two lines from the same provider.” Best practice includes:

• Two different ISPs

• Different physical entry points into the building if possible

• Automatic failover via firewall or SD-WAN equipment

• Regular testing to ensure the backup actually works
  

In some cases, a wired connection paired with a cellular or fixed wireless backup provides an affordable and resilient solution.

Planning Before the Next Storm

Ice storms, tornadoes, and severe weather are a fact of life in Tennessee. The question isn’t if outages will happen, but whether your business is prepared when they do.

Redundant circuits are not about worst-case paranoia. They are about operational resilience. Businesses that stay online during regional disruptions gain a competitive advantage simply by continuing to operate while others are offline.

Final Thought

Severe weather exposes weaknesses fast. If your business depends on staying connected, now is the right time to review your internet design and eliminate single points of failure.

SOFTEK can assess your current setup and help you determine whether you have true redundancy or just the illusion of it.