Migrating away from legacy networking technologies is always a challenge but done right, the process can lead the way to better and higher performing infrastructure that benefits end users and operators alike. The challenge and opportunity are of strategic interest to network operators today as they transition away from TDM technologies, which are rapidly going obsolete, and shift toward IP/MPLS approaches to deliver the best-possible system performance at all times, guarantee their ability to support legacy customers and new business services, and pursue emerging opportunities, such as backhaul for 5G.