Short answer
No. Hybrid designs let MPLS and internet links coexist safely, so you can migrate in phases while keeping deterministic support for selected applications.
In detail
MPLS is a private WAN service that many organisations rely on for predictable inter-site performance, and SD-WAN does not require you to switch it off on day one. A phased approach looks like this:
- Hybrid underlay: run MPLS and internet links side by side at each site.
- Policy: application-aware steering keeps selected applications on the MPLS path while other traffic uses internet links.
- Migration: move sites or applications off MPLS in phases.
- Governance: centralised visibility across all sites shows how each path performs.
Moving away from MPLS-only networks in phases is one of the scenarios FirstNet SD-WAN is designed for. Whether a hybrid design is needed affects the rollout timeline, so it is settled during underlay feasibility and design.
FirstNet supplies the internet underlays (broadband, DIA, LTE/5G, microwave and LEO satellite), and its Connectivity and Security teams validate the hybrid architecture together before anything is deployed.
Source: FirstNet SD-WAN service page →
Didn’t answer your question?