Short answer
There is no single standard lead time for SD-WAN. Timelines depend on underlay availability at each site, site readiness, whether a hybrid MPLS design is needed, and the overall rollout scope.
In detail
The rollout follows five stages:
- Outcomes: capture your business, resilience and security objectives.
- Underlay feasibility: validate multi-link requirements and link quality at each site.
- Joint validation: FirstNet's Connectivity and Security teams both validate the architecture and overlay.
- Rollout and testing: provision and test the approved design across the selected underlays.
- Managed service: hand over to managed services for in-life support and governance.
Underlays usually set the pace. A new fibre link typically takes several weeks to months, depending on construction and approvals, while LTE/5G is often live within a few working days and microwave can follow within weeks once line of sight is confirmed.
For comparison, FirstNet's Peplink bonded service, which follows a similar survey-led approach, typically takes four to six weeks for a single site, and a 50-site rollout typically runs four to six months in phased waves. FirstNet confirms a site-by-site plan once underlay feasibility is complete.
Source: FirstNet SD-WAN service page →
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