One of the best parts of attending industry events is the opportunity to sit down with people who spend their days solving a completely different set of challenges than most operators think about.
At CANWISP this year, we had the chance to do exactly that with Jonathan Black, Financial and Operational Executive at NANOG (North American Network Operators' Group). What started as a conversation about network engineering quickly became a reminder of just how much of the internet's success is built on collaboration, shared knowledge, and a willingness to help others solve problems.
For many broadband providers, the focus is naturally on delivering service to customers. We think about installations, support tickets, subscriber growth, network performance, and customer experience. But there is an entire ecosystem operating behind the scenes that makes all of that possible. That is where NANOG lives.
Jonathan described NANOG as an educational nonprofit focused on the infrastructure side of the internet. While organizations like WISPA, state associations, and industry groups help operators improve service delivery and business operations, NANOG's focus is what happens beyond the ISP's upstream connection and into the broader internet. Their community brings together network engineers from hyperscalers, cloud providers, infrastructure companies, content providers, and major network operators to share knowledge and improve the resiliency and security of the internet itself.
Listening to Jonathan talk about NANOG's history was a reminder of how far the internet has come. The organization's roots go back to the early days of NSFNet, long before many of the technologies we now take for granted even existed. Engineers were meeting regularly to solve emerging problems, develop standards, and figure out how to make a growing network function at scale. Those meetings eventually evolved into the organization we know today, which has now spent more than three decades creating a place where network professionals can learn from one another and share real-world experiences.
What stood out to me most was the philosophy behind how NANOG operates. Jonathan explained that presentations are selected by engineers for engineers. If a presentation feels like a sales pitch, it does not make the cut. In fact, more than half of submitted presentations are rejected. The goal is not to sell products. The goal is to share knowledge. That distinction matters because it creates an environment where people can have honest technical conversations without constantly questioning the motivations behind the information being shared.
That engineer-to-engineer approach is something I immediately connected with. Earlier in my career, there came a point when I needed to level up my own networking knowledge. We had reached the stage where someone in the organization needed to move beyond basic networking concepts and start understanding routing, BGP, OSPF, and the architecture decisions that come with operating a more sophisticated network. Like many operators, I pieced together information from various resources, forums, documentation, and conversations. Looking back, I couldn't help but think how valuable a resource like NANOG would have been during that journey.
One of the most interesting resources Jonathan described is NANOG's mailing list. At first glance, a mailing list may sound like a relic from another era of the internet. In reality, it remains one of the most valuable technical communities in the industry. With roughly 13,000 participants, the list serves as a real-time problem-solving network where engineers can ask questions, troubleshoot issues, and learn from others who have likely encountered similar situations before.
There is something refreshing about that model. In a world dominated by social media algorithms and fragmented online communities, there is still tremendous value in a focused group of professionals who simply want to help each other solve problems. Jonathan shared an example that perfectly captures the significance of that community. When Indonesia first came online and connected to the internet, one of the earliest public announcements appeared on the NANOG mailing list. Even more remarkable, the individual who shared that update remains part of the community today. That continuity speaks volumes about the role NANOG has played throughout the internet's history.
Another aspect of the organization that resonated with me was its commitment to neutrality. Membership is individual rather than corporate. Members participate and vote as professionals rather than as representatives of their employers. Sponsors help support the organization, but sponsorship does not guarantee influence over content or presentations. That structure helps maintain trust and ensures that decisions are made based on what benefits the community rather than what benefits a particular vendor or company.
Of course, no conversation about networking today would be complete without talking about artificial intelligence. As expected, AI found its way into the discussion. What I appreciated about Jonathan's perspective was that it remained grounded in practical realities rather than hype.
Much of the public conversation around AI focuses on the size of data centers, GPU clusters, and massive infrastructure investments. Jonathan pointed out that networking is every bit as important to the future of AI as computing power. Those massive AI systems require highly connected environments, both within data centers and across the broader internet. If the networking layer cannot keep up, the entire system suffers. The plumbing behind AI may not generate headlines, but it is every bit as critical as the processors themselves.
We also discussed how AI is beginning to influence network operations directly. Organizations are experimenting with AI-assisted network planning, monitoring, and predictive analysis. These tools can help operators make sense of enormous amounts of operational data, identify patterns, and surface issues before they become customer-facing problems. While the future remains uncertain, the reality is that these technologies are already being deployed and evaluated today. What felt theoretical a year ago is rapidly becoming operational.
That point resonated with me because it mirrors what we're seeing across the broadband industry. The volume of data available to operators continues to grow. Turning that information into actionable insights has always been the challenge. AI will not replace expertise, but it has the potential to help engineers and operators make faster, more informed decisions by highlighting trends and issues that would otherwise be difficult to identify manually.
As our conversation wrapped up, I found myself thinking less about technology and more about community. The internet has always been built by people willing to share what they know. Whether it's engineers collaborating on routing protocols decades ago or operators helping each other solve network challenges today, progress happens when knowledge is shared openly.
Organizations like NANOG remind us that some of the most important infrastructure behind the internet is not physical at all. It is the community of people who continually work together to make the network stronger, more secure, and more reliable for everyone.
This article only scratches the surface of the conversation with Jonathan Black from NANOG. We discuss the history of the organization, the resources available to network operators, the role of engineering communities in strengthening the internet, and how AI is beginning to shape the future of network operations.
Catch the full conversation on the Bandwidth podcast. Available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and the Bandwidth YouTube Channel.
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