Some years ago, we lost access to our data center although it had triple network redundancy. What happened was that three cables were leaving the DC leased by three different companies. But a mile down the road, all three different cable entered the same physical pipe. When the physical pipe was severed, all three network cables went dark. We should wait until they announced details of what happened before we decide that we know what happened and offer solution ("If they only had redundant links")

If my memory serves, one requirement of high-tier datacenters is that they have redundant electric lines leaving the building from opposite sides and in opposite directions. I guess it must be the same for optic fibers.

I fully agree with you on your last sentence. One should wait for a bit more than a vague declaration reported in a newspaper before giving unsolicited advice.

> high-tier datacenters

How many people (even tech ops profesionals), these days, know how to tell the difference? Of those that do, how many don't just keep their mouth shut because their bosses don't want to hear it?

These details are just trusted to "the cloud", instead.

Of course, the airport itself isn't a datacenter of any tier, and that "last mile" can be the biggest redundancy challenge, anyway.

Yes, they leave different ends/sides of the building, but you don't have much control on where they have utility right of way and whether or not at some point all of your lines share the same right of way (which is likely).

I have heard this story before, with a twist that initially it was checked for, but the telcos changed it back some years down the road. I wonder what's a good way to audit this.

Or even the option of inputting the data manually on a local system, so they could use the big displays rather than some whiteboards!

As someone above already mentioned — the whiteboards themselves also convey the message of “something is wrong, you may want to verify this info” very well.

The medium is the message, etc...

While I agree that it's odd that there was no fallback, the whiteboards do immediately convey 'stuff is broken, you should check this board' pretty decently, as they would stand out like a sore thumb in the airport normally.

If there was a digital fallback, it would absolutely have to have something to tell commuters that the information might be stale (as someone frantically types up flight updates in a back room somewhere)

Perhaps they could have gone with a connectivity vendor with an extensive 4G network for backup if the (inexplicably) non-redundant fixed line was cut.

I used to work for a major digital signage company and we had a huge contract with Verizon for cellular fallback at every site.

They're with Vodafone who has that.

Indeed. How embarrassing!

The problem is that it's the UK and mobile coverage isn't exactly world class here. You can get more consistent and reliable coverage towards the Russian border than you can around London.