Reliability is an important aspect and requirement for communications network products. The end users experience of reliability is minimal disruption of service; while, for service providers and equipment suppliers, a key driver for high reliability is the ability to manage the maintenance costs associated with operating large, complex networks. Since the turn of the twentieth century, Lucent's parent/predecessor AT&T, and since its divestiture from AT&T in the mid-1990s, Lucent itself, has adopted a philosophy of high reliability and availability. Subsequently, the whole industry has adopted the credo of high reliability and availability through standards, design, and operation of networks. Reliability is a wide and complex subject covering several facets and dimensions such as hardware, software, metrics, standards, techniques and tools, field performance analysis, and reliability improvement. Here are our thoughts and observations on a few critical areas.