When ISPs grow, they eventually face the same question: What do we keep in-house, and what do we hand off? Outsourcing can extend your reach, but it also introduces risks—especially when those partners become the ones speaking directly to your customers.
In this episode, the three of us compared our experiences with contractors, call centers, and emerging AI support. Here’s the short version of what actually works.
Where Outsourcing Helps
Most ISPs start with technical support, especially after-hours coverage. Tier 1 work is structured and predictable, which makes it easier to hand off. Some operators also outsource tower work or field operations when local staffing is limited.
There’s nothing wrong with outsourcing these functions, if you treat the partner as a true extension of your company.
Where Outsourcing Backfires
The biggest risk shows up when you outsource network engineering and never build internal understanding. If a single contractor is the only one who knows how your routing or architecture works, you’re one missed phone call away from a crisis. Any engineering partner should teach your team, document thoroughly, and be transparent about how decisions are made.
Field work can also go sideways without strong oversight. If you rely on outside crews, require photos, standards, and clear documentation. Quality in the sky affects everything on the ground.
Call Centers and Customer Experience
A call center can absolutely support your brand, but only if you give them real training, access to your knowledge base, and clear expectations for how you serve customers. And you must be able to review any call, not just the ones they choose to share.
Customers don’t care if an issue came from “after-hours support.” To them, it’s still your company.
Where AI Fits
AI can now handle a meaningful part of Tier 1: simple troubleshooting, proactive notifications, and clear instructions for next steps. It isn’t a replacement for humans, but it can reduce pressure on your team and keep calls focused on the issues that actually need people.
Used well, AI becomes a stabilizer.
Scaling People Is Still the Hard Part
We all agreed on one thing: scaling people will always be harder than scaling technology. Tools can extend your reach, but your staff needs flexibility, fair expectations, and work that fits their lives. Outsourcing and AI should support your team, not sideline them.
The Real Test
If you’re growing your ISP, the goal isn’t simply to add capacity. It’s to make sure every customer, at 3 p.m. or 3 a.m., still feels the values that made your company worth calling in the first place.
Georgette Lopez-Aguado
