The Broadband Forum has launched a new Wholesale Access project to define service requirements, best practices, and technical frameworks for sharing broadband network infrastructure in the FTTP and cloud era. The initiative targets broadband service providers (BSPs) seeking clearer guidance on how to open access networks for wholesale use while maintaining service quality and operational efficiency.
The project will outline how access network owners can make existing fiber infrastructure available to retail service providers, as well as content, application, and cloud providers. The framework aims to help operators monetize unused capacity while enabling new entrants to accelerate time-to-market. Initial work will establish a holistic model covering wholesale service use cases, deployment scenarios, and operational requirements aligned with the Forum’s service-led architecture approach. The initiative also addresses regulatory variations across global markets and encourages collaboration with other standards development organizations.
Industry participants include FiberCop and NBN Co, both of which bring operational experience from large-scale wholesale broadband deployments. The project will examine topics such as line testing, domain monitoring, service differentiation, and far-edge computing within shared infrastructure models.
- Defines service models and technical requirements for wholesale FTTP and cloud networks
- Addresses regulatory and deployment differences across global markets
- Focuses on automation, service assurance, and quality consistency
- Supports collaboration among operators, vendors, and standards bodies
- Targets monetization of unused network capacity and faster retail service rollout
“As one of Europe’s leading wholesale operators, FiberCop is proud to contribute its expertise in the initiative. Wholesale access has been inherently supported by the Broadband Forum’s network architecture over the past 20 years, and this project takes the best practices from copper-based broadband to reshape and evolve them for fiber and cloud networks,” said Daniele Franceschini, Head of Technology & Innovation at FiberCop.
Analysis: Wholesale access models historically centered on copper and bitstream services, but large-scale FTTP rollouts and cloud-native broadband architectures introduce new operational and automation requirements. The Broadband Forum’s effort reflects growing demand for standardized, interoperable frameworks as national fiber builds mature and regulators in Europe, Australia, and other regions continue to promote open-access broadband ecosystems.
