Introduced in 2023, the Open Access Committee has several objectives, including promoting the idea of Open Access and the wholesale fibre business model, stimulating and encouraging wholesale-oriented regulation and discussing and exchanging experience and best practices. To deliver on its mission and based on the know-how of its member companies, the Committee touches upon several fields, including the regulatory framework for wholesale operators, the technical aspects of Open Access, IT solutions for network operators, promotion and education, and sales and marketing of Open Access-based fibre services.
You can expect a variety of new contents and resources generating from these discussions, that will soon become beneficial to the fibre community at large.
For those who are not familiar with the concept of Open Access, here are five main advantages of adopting this business model while deploying FTTH networks, as identified by the working group:
- Open Access is a model that allows for the deployment and operation of fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) networks in a cost-efficient way. Building one infrastructure that is accessible to all service providers is in fact very cost-efficient, and has a significant impact on national coverage and market value. This cost-efficiency results from the fact that the same infrastructure is shared by all service providers, reducing the need for multiple infrastructures and saving on deployment and maintenance costs.
- The wholesale model can be very agile in administration, as there is no customer care. This means that service providers can focus on delivering services, while wholesale operators handle infrastructure maintenance and management.
- Service providers benefit from extensive coverage of the open access network without upfront investment, which makes it easier for them to provide services to customers without having to invest in expensive infrastructure.
- End-users benefit from a variety of services provided by diverse operators over the open access network. This means that customers have access to more choices in terms of services, pricing, and quality.
- Open Access drives competition of services in a very simple and transparent way. The wholesale operator does not compete with service providers, and service providers have equal terms and conditions of access. This creates equal opportunities for all service providers, promoting a more competitive and dynamic market.