A communications network comprising a plurality of network segments, each of the plurality of the network segments comprising: a) a segment management module; b) a plurality of network elements; and c) a plurality of communications links, wherein the plurality of network elements are interconnected by the plurality of communications links, the communications network being configured such that, in operation, the communications network supports a communications route between a first endpoint and a second endpoint, the communications route passing through a plurality of the network segments and the communications route being associated with one or more network parameter limits, with the one or more parameter limits being used to determine a threshold value for the one or more network parameters for each of the plurality of the network segments through which the communications route passes, wherein i) each of the segment management modules receives operational data from the plurality of network elements in its respective network segment; ii) on the basis of operational data received from the plurality of network elements, each segment management module determines the future performance of the plurality of network elements in the respective network segment; and iii) in response to a segment management module determining that the future performance of one or more of the plurality of network elements in the respective network segment does not meet a threshold value for one or more of the network parameters, one or more data flows is/are re-routed within the respective network segment. a) a segment management module; b) a plurality of network elements; and c) a plurality of communications links, wherein the plurality of network elements are interconnected by the plurality of communications links, the communications network being configured such that, in operation, the communications network supports a communications route between a first endpoint and a second endpoint, the communications route passing through a plurality of the network segments and the communications route being associated with one or more network parameter limits, with the one or more parameter limits being used to determine a threshold value for the one or more network parameters for each of the plurality of the network segments through which the communications route passes, wherein i) each of the segment management modules receives operational data from the plurality of network elements in its respective network segment; ii) on the basis of operational data received from the plurality of network elements, each segment management module determines the future performance of the plurality of network elements in the respective network segment; and iii) in response to a segment management module determining that the future performance of one or more of the plurality of network elements in the respective network segment does not meet a threshold value for one or more of the network parameters, one or more data flows is/are re-routed within the respective network segment. i) each of the segment management modules receives operational data from the plurality of network elements in its respective network segment; ii) on the basis of operational data received from the plurality of network elements, each segment management module determines the future performance of the plurality of network elements in the respective network segment; and iii) in response to a segment management module determining that the future performance of one or more of the plurality of network elements in the respective network segment does not meet a threshold value for one or more of the network parameters, one or more data flows is/are re-routed within the respective network segment.