The fibre investment cycle is creating greater interest in open access fibre models that separate network infrastructure from retail service delivery. Rather than requiring every operator to build and maintain a complete physical network, these structures allow infrastructure owners to provide wholesale access to multiple service providers, creating different ways to finance, deploy and utilise fibre assets. The European Commission identifies several wholesale only structures, ranging from passive infrastructure access to active network provision and mediated models in which infrastructure and network operations are divided. This creates a broader set of investment and operating arrangements as fibre deployment expands across international markets.
The model is not limited to one regulatory environment. Australia’s NBN operates as a wholesale only network, while Singapore’s nationwide broadband architecture separates passive and active network roles and incorporates open access for service providers. In Latin America, private infrastructure platforms such as V.tal in Brazil and OnNet Fibra in Chile and Colombia illustrate how existing fibre assets can be structured as independent wholesale businesses. South Africa also has multiple fibre infrastructure providers operating on an open access basis. These examples show that open access fibre can emerge through public infrastructure programmes, regulatory frameworks, private investment and the restructuring of incumbent networks.
The underlying objective differs across markets, but the common principle is the use of shared infrastructure to support multiple providers. This can reduce the need for every service provider to duplicate elements of physical deployment, while allowing retail operators to compete through pricing, services and customer relationships. However, open access fibre does not automatically produce greater competition or lower costs. The outcome depends on wholesale terms, access pricing, network governance, investment incentives and the extent to which providers can make effective use of the infrastructure.
Wholesale Models Creating New Structures for Fibre Deployment
The European Commission’s framework distinguishes between passive layer, active layer and mediated wholesale only models, showing how infrastructure ownership and service delivery can be separated at different points in the network. This separation gives operators and investors additional ways to organise fibre deployment while potentially broadening the number of providers able to use the same underlying infrastructure.
Key Takeaway: Open access can separate infrastructure ownership from network and retail services through different wholesale models, creating alternative structures for deploying and sharing fibre networks.
Shared Infrastructure Changing Fibre Investment Models
The practical value of open access fibre depends on how infrastructure ownership, network operation and retail service delivery are organised. In a wholesale only structure, the network owner can provide access to multiple service providers while leaving retail relationships outside the infrastructure business. Australia’s NBN provides a large scale example of this model, while Singapore separates passive and active network roles within its nationwide broadband architecture. These structures allow investment in physical infrastructure to be managed independently from the competition between retail providers, although the commercial arrangements governing access remain important to the outcome.
Different markets are also using open access fibre models through private investment and infrastructure restructuring. In Brazil, V.tal operates as a wholesale fibre platform serving multiple categories of communications customers, while OnNet Fibra has developed similar wholesale structures in Chile and Colombia. South Africa has also developed an open access environment involving multiple fibre infrastructure providers. These examples show that the model can emerge through different routes rather than following a single ownership structure. Existing networks can be separated into independent wholesale businesses, while new infrastructure can be designed from the outset to support multiple service providers.
Wholesale Access Influencing Competition and Network Utilisation
The investment case extends beyond avoiding duplicate construction. Shared infrastructure can allow a larger group of providers to use the same physical network, potentially increasing utilisation of deployed assets while lowering some barriers to market entry. The European Union’s Gigabit Infrastructure Act supports this broader approach by promoting access to physical infrastructure such as ducts and poles and encouraging coordination of civil works. However, open access fibre does not automatically create lower costs or stronger competition. Outcomes depend on wholesale pricing, access conditions, capacity allocation, governance and the willingness of providers to use the available network.
These arrangements also introduce operational requirements. Infrastructure owners and wholesale customers need clear responsibilities for installation, service activation, fault management, maintenance and network upgrades. Where several providers depend on the same physical assets, disagreements over access terms or operational responsibilities can affect service delivery and investment decisions. This makes governance an important part of the business model alongside the fibre itself.
The broader question is how shared infrastructure can extend the commercial value of fibre beyond a single retail operator. Where multiple providers can use the same network, investment can potentially be supported by a wider wholesale customer base and by demand from different parts of the communications market. This creates a natural link to enterprise and cloud connectivity, where the same infrastructure can support a wider range of high-capacity services beyond consumer broadband.