Open-access network

An open-access network (OAN) refers to a horizontally layered network architecture in telecommunications, and the business model that separates the physical access to the network from the delivery of services. In an OAN, the owner or manager of the network does not supply services for the network; these services must be supplied by separate retail service providers. There are two different open-access network models: the two- and three-layer models.

"Open Access" refers to a specialised and focused business model, in which a network infrastructure provider limits its activities to a fixed set of value layers in order to avoid conflicts of interest. The network infrastructure provider creates an open market and a platform for internet service providers (ISPs) to add value. The Open Access provider remains neutral and independent and offers standard and transparent pricing to ISPs on its network. It never competes with the ISPs.

In the century, analog telephone and cable television networks were designed around the limitations of the prevailing technology. The copper-wired twisted pair telephone networks were not able to carry television programming, and copper-wired coaxial cable television networks were not able to carry voice telephony. Towards the end of the twentieth century, with the rise of packet switching—as used on the Internet—and fiber and wireless technologies, it became possible to design, build, and operate a single high performance network capable of delivering hundreds of services from multiple, competing providers.

An OAN uses a different business model than traditional telecommunications networks. Regardless of whether the two- or three-layer model is used, an open-access network fundamentally means that there is an "organisational separation" of each of the layers. In other words, the network owner/operator cannot also be a retailer on that network.

In the two-layer OAN model, there is a network owner and operator, and multiple retail service providers that deliver services over the network.

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