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COS Business Engine Integrates with IQGeo Network Manager Telecom

 

Fiber network operators running IQGeo Network Manager Telecom as their OSP platform can now connect it directly to COS Business Engine. The integration links physical network records to commercial BSS/OSS workflows, with a defined source of truth on each side and no manual data reconciliation between them.

How the Integration Works

The two platforms connect through IQGeo’s Address feature layer, using the IQGeo Address feature ID as the shared key identifier across both systems.

Address import from IQGeo into COS Business Engine

Addresses are pulled from IQGeo and mapped into COS Business Engine. IQGeo is the source of truth. No manual re-entry, no divergence between the GIS record and the BSS address base.

Service location data written back to IQGeo

When a subscriber is activated or a service status changes in COS Business Engine, the relevant attributes are written back to the Address feature layer in IQGeo. Operators get a live commercial view of each address — who is connected, which service is active — directly inside the GIS.

Automatic circuit association

Where a circuit exists in IQGeo linked to an address, its ID and name are automatically mapped to the corresponding Circuit property in COS Business Engine. This removes the manual reconciliation work that typically falls on operations teams managing OSP records and service orders in separate systems.

Bidirectional attribute exchange

Additional properties on the IQGeo Address feature layer can be retrieved by COS Business Engine. Operators surface relevant OSP data within commercial workflows without duplicating records across systems.

Why This Matters

The disconnect between GIS/OSP data and BSS order management is a persistent source of operational error in fiber network operations. When the address record, the circuit record, and the service record live in separate systems with no automated linkage, mistakes compound: provisioning on incorrect addresses, stale service status in field tools, and manual reconciliation during audits.

This integration resolves the structural cause. IQGeo holds the network: physical plant, circuit topology, and address geography. COS Business Engine holds the commercial lifecycle: subscriber sign-up, provisioning, billing, and service management. Both systems stay coherent without either being replaced or subordinated.

For open access and wholesale operators, address accuracy is foundational. Multi-ISP operations depend on clean, unambiguous address records to route orders, provisioning commands, and billing correctly across service providers. A GIS-authoritative address layer connected directly to the BSS eliminates that risk at the source.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the COS Business Engine and IQGeo integration? It is a native bidirectional integration between COS Business Engine and IQGeo Network Manager Telecom. It links the IQGeo Address feature layer to the COS Business Engine address base, keeping OSP and BSS records coherent without manual data entry.

Which IQGeo product does this integrate with? The integration is built specifically for IQGeo Network Manager Telecom. It uses IQGeo’s Address feature layer as the shared data layer between the two platforms.

Does this require replacing either system? No. COS Business Engine and IQGeo each retain their authoritative role. IQGeo holds the network and physical plant records. COS Business Engine holds the commercial subscriber lifecycle. The integration keeps both in sync.

How are circuits handled? Where a circuit in IQGeo is linked to an address, its ID and name are automatically mapped to the corresponding Circuit property in COS Business Engine. Manual reconciliation between OSP records and service orders is not required.

Is this integration relevant for open access operators? Yes. Multi-ISP environments require clean, unambiguous address records to route orders, provisioning, and billing correctly across service providers. A GIS-authoritative address source connected directly to the BSS reduces that risk at the source.

Where can I learn more about COS Business Engine integrations? See the full integrations overview or contact us to discuss your OSP stack.

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ATIS Launches Open Access Network Forum to Accelerate Scalable Open Access Fiber in North America

February 5, 2026

The Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) has launched the Open Access Network Forum (OANF), a new industry body developing a unified implementation specification for open access fiber networks across North America.

The Forum brings together ISPs, open access infrastructure owners, and technology partners. Its mandate is to align the industry on business models, operational processes, technical architectures, and regulatory considerations — producing a common framework operators can implement without building bespoke integrations from scratch.

The goal is direct: fewer custom integrations, faster service provider onboarding, and more capital deployed toward fiber rather than integration overhead.

What Is the Open Access Network Forum?

OANF is an ATIS-led initiative developing a single Open Access Implementation Specification. The specification will cover the full operational stack — how open access networks are designed, how ISPs onboard, how wholesale-retail billing is structured, and how multi-party relationships are managed at scale.

ATIS President and CEO Susan Miller described the scope:

“OANF will help bring greater consistency to how open-access networks are designed, integrated, and operated, making it easier for service providers to launch and expand services for end users across the North American market. This initiative is another way ATIS is advancing ICT industry transformation by helping simplify service enablement in open-access environments.”

Why Standardization Matters Now

Open access has been standard operating model in Europe and parts of Asia for decades. North America is in an active catch-up phase, driven by federal funding, M&A consolidation, and growing operator interest in shared infrastructure.

That growth creates friction. Operators building shared-infrastructure partnerships are doing so against a fragmented technical and commercial landscape. Without a common framework, every integration is rebuilt from scratch.

OANF addresses this directly. A unified specification reduces the coordination cost of multi-ISP networks, shortens time-to-market for service providers, and creates conditions for healthier competition on open infrastructure.

COS Systems Appointed Vice Chair of OANF

Sajan Parikh, Chief Technology Officer at COS Systems, has been appointed Vice Chair of the Open Access Network Forum, serving alongside Chair Scott Baker of AT&T.

Parikh brings two decades of open access operational experience to the role. COS Systems has worked with open access and wholesale fiber operators across Europe and North America since the early days of shared-infrastructure deployments — long before the model gained traction in the US market.

Parikh on the appointment:

“So much of the work I’ve done builds upon two decades of advocacy that COS Systems has pioneered for Open Access Networks in Europe, North America, and beyond. With open access gaining significant traction in North America amid today’s fast-paced M&A climate, we’ve seen and lived through the various challenges network operators and ISPs face when executing on shared-infrastructure partnerships and ventures“

On what standardization unlocks:

“Less time on bespoke integrations means more resources toward deploying fiber and delivering services.”

Get Involved

OANF membership is open to ISPs, infrastructure owners, technology vendors, and others active in the open access ecosystem. Details and membership options are at oanf.atis.org.

COS Systems builds the BSS/OSS software that runs open access and wholesale fiber networks. [LINK: COS Wholesale Engine product page] Learn how operators use COS to manage multi-ISP billing, service provider onboarding, and wholesale operations at scale.

Learn more and explore membership options at:
👉 https://oanf.atis.org/

At COS Systems, we remain committed to advancing True Open Access and enabling affordable, scalable fiber networks through automation, interoperability, and collaboration. We look forward to contributing to the important work ahead through OANF.

Read full press release

FAQ

What is the ATIS Open Access Network Forum (OANF)? The Open Access Network Forum is an ATIS-led industry initiative developing a unified Open Access Implementation Specification for North American fiber networks. It covers business models, operational processes, technical architectures, and regulatory considerations for open access and shared-infrastructure deployments.

Why did ATIS launch OANF? The North American open access market is scaling rapidly, driven by federal broadband funding and increased M&A activity. Without a common framework, operators must build bespoke integrations for every shared-infrastructure partnership. OANF exists to reduce that fragmentation and lower the cost of deploying interoperable open access networks.

Who leads the Open Access Network Forum? OANF is chaired by Scott Baker of AT&T. Sajan Parikh, Chief Technology Officer at COS Systems, serves as Vice Chair.

What is COS Systems’ role in open access fiber networks? COS Systems develops BSS/OSS software for open access network operators and wholesale fiber carriers. Its platforms manage multi-ISP operations, service provider onboarding, wholesale billing, and network operations across North America and Europe.

How does open access network standardization benefit ISPs? A common implementation specification reduces integration complexity, shortens onboarding timelines, and allows service providers to launch on new infrastructure without building custom integrations. This directs more capital toward fiber deployment rather than system integration.

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Automation Across the Broadband Service Lifecycle

Automation Across the Fiber Service Lifecycle

Running a fiber network without integrated automation means friction at every handoff. Teams answer basic serviceability questions manually. Orders stall between systems. Field crews arrive on site without complete work orders. Customers wait while back-office steps catch up.

These are not edge cases. They are structural gaps in how most fiber operations are built.

The following covers what actually needs to be automated across a real fiber service lifecycle: from the first availability check through billing and subscription management.

What Full-Lifecycle Automation Covers

Automation that stops at one workflow does not solve the problem. The full service lifecycle spans four operational layers, and a break in any one of them propagates downstream.

Those layers are: customer-facing serviceability and ordering, internal operational systems, field execution, and revenue management. Each must share the same source of truth.

How Fiber Operators Automate Address Serviceability

The first question every prospective customer asks is whether they can get service at their address. If that answer requires a manual lookup or a callback, the operator has already lost momentum.

Automated serviceability is address-based, network-aware, and updated as the network evolves. Availability checks must reflect actual network design, construction status, and capacity constraints.

In COS Business Engine, this is where demand aggregation capabilities and network data surface through the customer portal. The availability answer must be accurate, not optimistic. An inaccurate serviceability response creates downstream rework that costs more than the lost lead.

How Fiber Operators Automate Online Ordering and Scheduling

Once serviceability is confirmed, ordering should not require internal teams to stitch systems together after the fact.

Automated ordering ties products to real network capabilities, generates installation options based on crew capacity, and sets scheduling that respects construction and activation timelines. Customers select a service, choose an install window, submit the order, and receive confirmation without manual intervention between steps.

In COS Business Engine, order capture, scheduling logic, and operational readiness connect as a single flow, not as separate tools passing data between them.

How Fiber Operators Automate Work Orders and Field Dispatch

Field teams absorb the cost of broken automation immediately. Incomplete work orders produce truck rolls with missing information, on-site delays, and repeat visits.

Automated dispatch means a work order is generated directly from order placement. Required materials are identified at creation. Tasks route to the right crew based on structured data that has followed the order from the start.

When dispatch is driven by that structure, field crews spend time installing fiber instead of chasing context. [LINK: COS FSM product page]

How Fiber Operators Automate ONT Provisioning

Provisioning is where many fiber networks quietly fall back to manual steps. The symptom is orders marked complete while services are not fully live because provisioning happened outside the main system.

Automated ONT provisioning triggers directly from order completion. It aligns with product definitions and verifies activation automatically. The handoff between construction, activation, and billing closes. The service is either live or it is not.

How Fiber Operators Automate Billing and Subscription Management

Automation does not stop at service turn-up. A disconnected billing step produces incorrect first invoices, delayed revenue recognition, and manual corrections that do not scale.

Automated billing starts when service goes live. Products, pricing, and terms match the order. Changes and cancellations flow through the same system rather than requiring manual reconciliation.

In COS deployments, billing automation is the final step in a chain that begins with serviceability. Operational discipline and financial discipline are the same thing when the lifecycle is connected.

Frequently Asked Questions: Fiber Operations Automation

What does end-to-end automation mean for a fiber operator? It means every step in the service lifecycle — serviceability, ordering, dispatch, provisioning, and billing — is driven by structured data from a shared system rather than manual handoffs between disconnected tools.

How does automated serviceability improve take rates? Accurate, real-time serviceability answers build customer confidence and reduce drop-off at the first step. Inaccurate availability responses generate downstream rework and erode trust before the relationship starts.

Can COS Business Engine automate ONT provisioning? Yes. COS Business Engine triggers ONT provisioning directly from order completion, aligned with product definitions, with automatic activation verification. The step does not require a separate provisioning action outside the system.

How does automated dispatch reduce truck rolls? Work orders generated from structured order data include required materials and crew routing at creation. Field teams arrive with complete information, which eliminates the repeat visits caused by incomplete dispatch.

What happens to billing when a customer upgrades or cancels? In an automated lifecycle, changes and cancellations flow through the same system as the original order. Billing adjusts based on the updated subscription state without manual reconciliation.

Which COS Systems product covers field service automation? COS FSM manages work order generation, crew dispatch, and field execution. It integrates with COS Business Engine so that order data flows directly into field operations without re-entry. Read more.

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American Broadband Consolidation: The Investment Playbook Reshaping Fiber Networks

 

Aerial view of fiber broadband infrastructure and urban network connectivity

By Mikael Philipsson  |  February 3, 2026

 

Part of the Broadband Investment Series

Why U.S. Fiber Consolidation Is Accelerating Now

The most significant shift in American broadband since the dot-com era is underway. After years of expansion funded by cheap capital and public programs including $42.5 billion in BEAD allocations, investors have shifted their focus from build speed to operational yield. The result is consolidation at a scale the industry has not seen before.

BSP Technical Advisors advised over 30 deals in 2025 alone. PwC’s 2025 Telecom Deals survey found that 93% of fiber leaders anticipate consolidation, with 70% expecting it to accelerate within 12 months. AlixPartners counts more than 400 small fiber operators as likely acquisition or merger targets.

This is not chaos. Capital is reasserting efficiency, predictability, and network utilization as the primary criteria for investment. Convergence is not a prediction. It is happening.

What the Consolidation Wave Actually Means

The next 24 to 36 months will reshape the U.S. broadband landscape more than the previous decade did. The industry will move from hundreds of independent fiber providers to a dozen national and regional ecosystems, each blending investor-backed network companies (NetCos), operational platform operators, and service providers at different scales.

Understanding the mechanics behind these moves matters more than the headline numbers. This is not simply large operators acquiring small ones. The entire structure of the industry is being redesigned: infrastructure separated from services, open access principles applied at scale, and OSS/BSS stacks becoming strategic assets rather than back-office utilities.

The Strategic Playbooks by Operator Type

Infrastructure Investors

Separate infrastructure from services early and standardize on open access principles to raise asset multiples. Acquire regional clusters to achieve density economics. Target middle-mile assets connecting AI infrastructure while expanding into FTTH areas.

NetCos

Fiber is infrastructure. Broadband is operations. Build automated, API-driven wholesale platforms that multiple service providers can access simultaneously. Share provisioning metrics and network data vertically with each provider; firewall it horizontally between them. Invest in field service management systems capable of coordinating complex, multi-technician installation workflows.

ISPs, CableCos, and TelCos

Three realistic paths exist: consolidate your region before someone else does; position for acquisition with clean operations and penetration above 35%; or separate your infrastructure from your service layer and expand onto other open networks with zero additional capital expenditure.

Municipal Networks

Munis were built for public good, not private IRR hurdles. Their advantages remain real: patient capital, community trust, and mission alignment beyond profit. Forward-thinking municipal networks are partnering with private operators, focusing on middle-mile infrastructure, and implementing modern OSS/BSS stacks to operate at private-sector efficiency.

The Three Paths for ISPs

Path 1: Consolidate

Acquire smaller fiber operators and consolidate your region before a larger platform does it for you. The 400-plus acquisition targets will not remain independent for long. Be realistic about integration: too many deals destroy value because operators underestimate the complexity of combining network assets, billing systems, and service delivery operations.

Path 2: Position for Sale

Prepare a clean data room and demonstrate the metrics buyers require. That means penetration above 35%, clean customer data, standardized operations, and an OSS/BSS stack that plugs into an acquirer’s platform without a multi-year integration project.

Path 3: Operate as a Service Provider on Open Infrastructure

This is the path requiring the most strategic clarity. Separate your infrastructure from your service layer. Expand using other operators’ open networks under your own brand. Same brand. More customers. Zero additional capital expenditure.

For some operators this feels like giving up asset ownership. The math often shows it produces the highest NPV outcome, particularly when combined with opening your own existing infrastructure to other service providers in a wholesale model.

What Open Access Changes About the Consolidation Calculus

Open access and shared infrastructure are not new concepts. European operators have practiced this model for decades. North America is not pioneering anything; it is catching up to a structure that has already demonstrated its durability at scale.

The efficiency argument for open access becomes more compelling in a consolidation environment. A NetCo running an automated wholesale platform with multiple service providers on the same infrastructure generates higher utilization and more predictable revenue than a single-operator network. Investors understand this. Valuations are beginning to reflect it.

For municipal networks, the same logic applies. Munis that implement modern field service management and OSS/BSS infrastructure to operate at private-sector efficiency become attractive strategic partners. Those that do not risk becoming distressed sellers. The difference between those two outcomes is governance and operational capability, not ownership structure.

What Comes After Consolidation

The consolidation wave is the opening act. The harder questions follow. How does a legacy cable company operate alongside an open access network on shared infrastructure? When does an infrastructure investor need a service provider partner, and when should they build one internally? How do state broadband offices manage a landscape where BEAD recipients may be acquired before deployment is complete?

These are not theoretical questions. They are arriving on decision-makers’ desks now. The operators and investors who are modeling these scenarios today will be the ones shaping the next phase of the industry, not responding to it.

Talk Strategy

If you are modeling consolidation, open access positioning, or operational scale, the COS Systems team works directly with fiber network operators across North America and Europe.

Get in Touch

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How Investors Are Secretly Reshaping American Broadband






Fiber network infrastructure representing broadband investment consolidation in the United States

What’s Really Driving the Biggest Moves in American Broadband

By Mikael Philipsson  |  February 1, 2026

Part of the Broadband Investment Series

Investors are not just funding fiber. They are rewriting the rules of how broadband infrastructure gets built, owned, and operated. Everybody saw the builds and the headlines. Fewer people asked the sharper question: which theses are steering billions into specific routes, partners, and contracts?

The Network Utilization Strategy covered what is changing. This article explains why capital is moving the way it is, and provides a decision framework for what comes next. The goal is concrete: help operators shorten activation cycles, raise take-rates, and build networks that function as resilient, modern utilities.

The 11 Investment Theses Behind the Big Moves

Thesis 1

NetCo/ServCo Separation Unlocks Capital Efficiency

Own the asset, wholesale the access, and let retailers compete on customer experience, brand, and product. JV and carve-out patterns are replicating across markets. T-Mobile’s JV activity around fiber footprints is one visible example.

Legacy ISPs can offload build risk, stay retail-focused, and re-rate to infrastructure-style yields.

Thesis 2

Fiber Is the Nervous System of AI

AI clusters are dictating where metro rings and long-haul routes are densifying. Power and fiber are now underwritten together. Brookfield’s “Building the Backbone of AI” paper makes the investment logic explicit.

NetCos that pre-position diverse routes near data-center corridors win multi-tenant contracts first.

Thesis 3

MDU and Campus Broadband Are Growth Engines

Investors favor providers with strong bulk MDU plays. The model offers lower customer acquisition cost, lower churn, and contract-heavy revenue. Macquarie’s growth investment in Mereo Networks and Mereo’s acquisition of DISH Fiber Internet LLC illustrate the thesis in practice.

ServCos should prioritize MDU and campus SKUs. NetCos should reserve installation windows and wiring standards for bulk deals.

Thesis 4

Strong Balance Sheets Are Rolling Up Regional Operators

In a higher-rate environment, scaled sponsors with patient capital continue acquiring regional fiber and open access platforms. Intrepid Fiber Networks raised additional capital in part to evaluate strategic tuck-in acquisitions.

Legacy telcos without financing velocity become sellers or wholesale-only tenants.

Thesis 5

BEAD Favors Open Wholesale Models

States are weighting affordability, sustainability, and competition in their BEAD scoring. Multi-tenant models stretch public dollars further and improve lender recoveries. GigaPower has noted publicly that state broadband offices value the prospect of multiple ISPs serving their constituents.

NetCo proposals that demonstrate credible ISP 2 and ISP 3 trajectories score higher.

Thesis 6

FWA Is a Bridge, Not a Terminal Asset

Fixed wireless access remains a tactical fill. Fiber dominates 30-year underwriting where density supports it. Wireless open access networks are gaining traction and BEAD awards are beginning to reflect that trajectory.

Investors value FWA for time-to-market. Fiber is the terminal asset in most clusters.

Thesis 7

Rights-of-Way and Pole Access Are the Real Moat

At least 22 states have moved to accelerate pole access and ROW processes because attachment friction throttles IRR more than strand count. Anchor-tenant JVs and city partnerships around GigaPower reflect this dynamic.

Operational excellence means permitting mastery and contractor throughput, not just splicing speed.

Thesis 8

Fiber Multiples Are Repricing to Infrastructure Yields

Refinancings are pointing to infrastructure-style valuations: CPI-linked fees, long-life cash flows, ESG targets. FiberLight’s $500M sustainability-linked facility is a concrete example of this repricing.

Operators that standardize wholesale catalogs and SLAs can reprice their equity story.

Thesis 9

AI Adjacency: Routes Follow HPC Heat Maps

Investors are pursuing unique, low-latency paths between AI campuses and peering points. Route diversity commands valuation premiums. Brookfield’s commitment of up to $10 billion for AI backbone infrastructure makes the scale of this thesis clear.

NetCos monetize on where the glass runs, not just how much they have deployed.

Thesis 10

Operator-Light ISPs Will Scale Like MVNOs

National brands are extending coverage via wholesale agreements and JVs over other operators’ fiber. AT&T’s reach expansion with Boldyn, Digital Infrastructure Group, PRIME FiBER, Ubiquity, and GigaPower illustrates this at scale.

ServCos must excel at onboarding, billing accuracy, and customer experience on shared plant.

Thesis 11

Private Capital Is Funding What Telcos Cannot

Infrastructure funds are stepping into growth where incumbents face balance-sheet constraints. Brookfield-backed Intrepid Fiber is expanding clustered, open access builds with T-Mobile as anchor tenant, now past 65,000 passings after a Colorado network acquisition. The logic is build once, add tenants.

Legacy telcos partner or concede ground to better-capitalized operators.

How This Plays Out Over the Next 24 to 36 Months

  • More JV build models. Anchor-tenant plus infrastructure fund structures will repeat. AT&T and BlackRock set the template. Second and third ISPs join once the map is live, improving yields without incremental capital expenditure.
  • Accelerating open access financing. Credit markets are now comfortable with wholesale-only fiber if there is proven tenant demand. Intrepid upsizing its facility confirms this.
  • AI-driven metro ring upgrades. Dense metro re-fibering near HPC campuses and power-rich zones, underwritten explicitly as AI adjacency infrastructure, will become a standard investment category.
  • Selective vertical integration. Some sponsors will own both NetCo and certain ServCo segments, particularly MDUs, where churn is structurally low and contract revenue is predictable.

The future of American broadband is a system of aligned incentives. Capital efficiency, open infrastructure, faster activation, and richer customer choice are no longer competing goals. They are the new performance standard.

Read the Full Series

This article is part of a three-part series on the investment forces reshaping U.S. fiber broadband.

The Network Utilization Strategy — what is driving the shift to wholesale open access and how utilization becomes the primary performance metric.

The Coming Consolidation Wave — the playbooks for infrastructure investors, NetCos, ISPs, and municipal networks navigating the next 36 months.

Talk Strategy

If you are modeling open access positioning, wholesale platform architecture, or operational scale, the COS Systems team works directly with fiber network operators across North America and Europe.

Get in Touch

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Meet the latest addition to our team – Saks Vig

Meet Our Team – Quick Q&A with Saks

We’re excited to welcome Saks to our growing US team at COS Systems. Based in the Greater Toronto Area, he’ll be leading our Principal Enterprise Architect leading initiatives to strengthen our technical capabilities across North America. Get to know him in this quick Q&A.

Tell us a little bit about yourself – who are you, and what is your background?

I’m a technologist with over 18 years in the telecommunications and IT industry. My background is built on designing solutions, driving process automation, and leading complex system integrations, with a specific focus on Open Access models, Fiber Broadband, Customer Service Provisioning, and TMF APIs. Previously, I spent time as a Solution Architect at AT&T, where I gained a deep understanding of the unique challenges large-scale ISPs face. Outside of work, I’m a dedicated family man – husband to a supportive wife and father to my 9-year-old daughter and 10-month-old son.

You’re joining our growing (US) team – what will you be working on, and how does your role strengthen COS Systems in North America?

I’m joining as the Principal Enterprise Architect. My focus is on aligning our technology strategy with business goals as we scale in the North American market. Specifically, I’ll be working on the COS Wholesale Engine and COS FSM application. My goal is to leverage the strong technical foundation established by the amazing team at COS and build on it to deliver rapid, high-quality scalability for our North American market presence.

What caught your interest in COS Systems?

Honestly, it was a combination of the people and the mission. I had the chance to connect with a few friends at COS before making the decision, and seeing their passion really highlighted the company’s culture and genuine customer centricity. On the technical side, the clear drive to become the global leader in Open Access Network solutions is a journey I wanted to be a part of.

What are your goals for the coming months in your new role?

My priority is to dive deep into the COS product ecosystem –  the Business Engine, Wholesale Engine, and FSM. But in keeping with the COS culture of customer focus, I want to go beyond the software to really understand the operational and implementation challenges our US industry partners face. My goal is to translate those insights into a clear, outcome-driven architectural roadmap that solves real-world operational challenges and positions us for long-term scalability and market leadership.

What are you most excited about when it comes to working with COS customers and partners in the US?

I’m excited about the sheer scale of the opportunity here. The US market has unique and complex requirements, and I’m looking forward to collaborating directly with our partners to design architectures that meet those needs. It’s deeply satisfying to see a technical strategy directly translate into a smoother, more efficient operation for a customer.

What’s your go-to productivity hack when things get busy?

I’m a big believer in deep-work sessions, or “Focus Blocks.” When I need to tackle a complex architecture problem, I proactively block off time on my calendar, turn off notifications, put on my music, and immerse myself in the task. It’s the only way to deliver high-quality, strategic thinking amidst the noise.

If you could instantly become an expert in one new skill, what would it be?

I’d love to instantly master Swedish – it would be a great way to connect even better with my colleagues at HQ! 

But jokes apart, I’d choose Generative AI for network and solution architecture. Being able to apply deep learning to instantly optimize Open Access fiber designs would be a massive asset, allowing us to accelerate our design cycles and get robust solutions to market much faster.

What’s your favorite way to unwind after a long workday?

Quality time with my wife and kids is always priority number one. With a 9-year-old and a 10-month-old, life is busy! Once the house finally settles down, I usually unwind by just disconnecting and catching up on a good series on Netflix. It’s the best way to turn off the ‘architect brain’ for a while.

Lastly, what’s one word your friends or colleagues would use to describe you?

Steadfast.

Connect with Saks!

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U.S. Fiber Network Utilization:


Presenter discussing fiber broadband network utilization strategy with colleagues

The Investment Strategy Reshaping Broadband Infrastructure

By Mikael Philipsson  |  January 16, 2026

Part of the Broadband Investment Series

Why Network Utilization Is Now the Core Fiber Investment Thesis

Everyone says fiber wins. Investors are asking a sharper question: where, and under what model, does fiber win sustainably? The answer explains both the scale of recent U.S. broadband investments and why capital has become more selective about which operators and architectures it backs.

Investors are not just funding fiber. They are rethinking how digital infrastructure creates durable value.

For years the U.S. broadband playbook was straightforward: own the network, own the customer. That model is breaking down. The real shift is not about faster speeds. It is about network utilization at scale: build fiber once, operate and automate it as infrastructure, open it to multiple service providers, and complement it with open-access-ready fixed wireless to extend reach, accelerate time to revenue, and compound returns without overbuilding.

How the New Model Works

The legacy single-operator model is giving way to investor-backed structures that maximize network utilization from day one. The shift fits infrastructure capital’s requirements: long-life assets, diversified revenues, and repeatable expansion logic.

The structure works as follows. The NetCo owns and finances the physical network and sells wholesale access to service providers. It secures anchor-tenant commitments, operates on open access economics, and clusters market expansions to ramp take-rates without ramping risk. NetCos concentrate on layer 1 build pace with economies of scale, layer 2 automation with defined SLAs, and network utilization as the long-life compounding yield driver.

Three Case Studies

Case 1

Brookfield / Intrepid Fiber / T-Mobile

Intrepid’s open access builds in Colorado and Minnesota continue to scale with T-Mobile as the retail ISP anchor. Public updates point to eight additional communities in each state and a plan exceeding 400,000 locations passed across both. The thesis is build once, add tenants.

Case 2

AT&T + BlackRock / GigaPower

Marketed as the largest commercial open access fiber platform in the U.S., the JV is live in approximately 70 communities across six states and is preparing a second ISP. Adding that second provider is the utilization multiplier that boosts yields without duplicating physical plant.

Case 3

AT&T Wholesale Fiber Expansion

Beyond GigaPower, AT&T signed agreements with four open access providers — Boldyn, Digital Infrastructure Group, PRIME FiBER, and Ubiquity — to extend serviceable footprint. This is capital-light coverage: scale reach via wholesale rather than owned and financed build.

Why This Model Is Structurally Disruptive

Service Providers

Asset-light expansion becomes viable. ISPs can enter new markets and add bundling options at scale over third-party fiber without carrying the capital cost of the network.

Communities and Municipalities

Active partnership with infrastructure builders accelerates permits and reuses existing assets. Communities gain future-proof connectivity for schools, healthcare, and public services, with standardized open access technology that ensures additional providers can be added over time.

Investors and NetCos

Infrastructure-profile returns with long-term secure cash flows and a diversified revenue base from multiple tenants added progressively. Risk is structurally lower than single-operator models.

What This Means for Each Operator Type

ISPs: The retail game is becoming operator-light. You can enter new geographies on other operators’ fiber and still own the customer experience. Modern OSS/BSS with API certification is required to interconnect cleanly across wholesale catalogs in open access networks.

Municipal and community networks: Partner actively with infrastructure companies or build your own and partner with credible service providers. Open access technology is no longer experimental. It is the operating standard in markets where this model is most advanced.

Investors: Utilization is your primary lever. Secure an anchor tenant first, then curate a second and third ISP to lift yield without overbuilding. Standardized onboarding makes each additional ISP incrementally cheaper to add.

Three Shifts That Will Reshape the National Landscape

  • Coverage without capital expenditure for national brands. Large operators expand rapidly into new markets via wholesale rather than building everywhere themselves. AT&T’s joint ventures, partnerships, and fiber agreements demonstrate the result: faster footprint growth with lower balance-sheet strain.
  • Rise of regional NetCos. Brookfield-backed Intrepid Fiber is the early pattern: wholesale-only, anchored by a scaled ISP, then adding more providers in clustered markets. These NetCos become the quiet backbone for multiple retail brands.
  • More competition in open access cities. Open access only scales when the technology does. The industry is moving from custom, one-off integrations toward standardized interconnectivity between service providers and NetCos. That shift enables faster ISP onboarding, real competition, and higher utilization of existing fiber assets.

Utilization Is the Strategy

The debate between owning the customer and owning the network misses the point. What matters is how well each role drives utilization of the asset it controls.

Investor-backed NetCos are demonstrating that fiber becomes true infrastructure when it is built once, operated at scale, and opened to multiple service providers through standardized technology. The most effective rollouts increasingly combine fiber with open-access-ready fixed wireless to extend reach, accelerate time to revenue, and improve utilization without overbuilding.

The operators who win will not be defined by who builds the most. They will be defined by who utilizes best, across fiber and complementary access layers.

Talk Strategy

COS Systems works directly with fiber network operators, NetCos, and municipal broadband providers across North America and Europe.

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Meet the latest addition to our team – Zack Mitchell

Meet Our Team – Quick Q&A with Zack

We’re excited to welcome Zack to our growing US team at COS Systems. Based in Wake Forest, NC, he’ll be working closely with our North American customers and partners to help assess and summarize issues, along with assisting in the implementation of new features. Get to know him in this quick Q&A.

Tell us a little bit about yourself – who are you, and what is your background?

A results-driven expert in the fiber industry, I bring nearly 8 years of experience, from field operations to data analytics. This background provides a comprehensive understanding of customer needs in a Field Service Management Tool.

You’re joining our growing (US) team – what will you be working on, and how does your role strengthen COS Systems in North America?

I will serve as a liaison, working closely with our developers to translate end-user needs. This will enable the development team to focus more time and energy on feature construction.

What caught your interest in COS Systems?

The Software and the Culture

What are your goals for the coming months in your new role?

To support our customers with increased documentation, release notes, and demos 

What are you most excited about when it comes to working with COS customers and partners in the US?

I’m excited to build strong relationships and further understand the needs of our customers

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.

I used to race dirtbikes when I was in grade school

What’s your go-to productivity hack when things get busy?

Stop and recalibrate. I find it super helpful in times of busyness to stop, take a deep breath, and reshift focus to the highest priority items.

 If you could instantly become an expert in one new skill, what would it be?

Carpentry. Imagine being able to build any piece of furniture you want, completely custom to you.

 What’s your favorite way to unwind after a long workday?

Watching trashy reality tv shows with my fiancé and laughing at the absurdity.

Lastly, what’s one word your friends or colleagues would use to describe you?

Confident

Connect with Zack!

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Meet the latest addition to our team – Nicholas Gerrer

Meet Our Team – Quick Q&A with Nick

We’re excited to welcome Nick to our growing US team at COS Systems. Based in Deerfield Beach, FL, he’ll be working closely with our North American customers and partners to drive product development and provide local support. Get to know him in this quick Q&A.

Tell us a little bit about yourself – who are you, and what is your background?

I’m Nick, and I come from a background in software engineering across a variety of business domains, including domain and hosting resellers, legal technology, and managed home repair. I’ve spent the past 10 years working in engineering departments, where I focused on leading technology initiatives and architecting business-critical systems. Originally from New York, I’ve always been passionate about leveraging the latest technology to solve real-world problems.

You’re joining our growing (US) team – what will you be working on, and how does your role strengthen COS Systems in North America?

I’ll be focusing on developing our Wholesale Engine application. My background in architecting business-critical systems will help strengthen the product as we grow, and being US-based means I can work more closely with our North American customers and partners to ensure they feel fully supported.

What caught your interest in COS Systems?

A few things stood out to me. First, the company culture—it was clear from my conversations that COS Systems values its people and fosters a collaborative environment. I was also excited about the autonomy I’ll have as an engineer to make meaningful contributions. On the technical side, the opportunity to work within the Laravel framework and ecosystem was a big draw. And ultimately, I wanted to join a company that genuinely cares about innovation—not just as a buzzword, but as part of how they operate.

What are your goals for the coming months in your new role?

In the short term, I want to get up to speed on the COS product offerings, build relationships with key customers, and understand the US market landscape. Long-term, I’m aiming to become a go-to resource for our products and contribute to technical decisions that shape their future.

What are you most excited about when it comes to working with COS customers and partners in the US?

I’m most excited about learning a business domain that’s new to me, helping solve real challenges for customers, seeing the impact of our solutions firsthand, and building long-term partnerships. The US market has so much opportunity for growth, and I can’t wait to be part of it.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.

I’ve recently started prioritizing international travel with the goal of visiting a new destination at least once a year. I love learning about new cultures and ways of life—last year was Thailand, and next up is Italy. I also play ice hockey weekly in recreational adult leagues.

What’s your go-to productivity hack when things get busy?

I throw on classical music or electronic dance music when I want to focus on writing code or developing architectural solutions.

 If you could instantly become an expert in one new skill, what would it be?

Speaking another language fluently. I’d choose this because of my love for international travel.

 What’s your favorite way to unwind after a long workday?

Playing video games, watching sports, and catching up on TV.

Lastly, what’s one word your friends or colleagues would use to describe you?

Adaptable

Connect with Nick!

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Updated UI Tools for Faster Daily Operations in Business Engine

Over the past year, our team has delivered a series of thoughtful UI improvements designed to make your daily work smoother, faster, and more intuitive.

In this update, Spencer walks through several key enhancements. First, the streamlined navigation: daily operational tools are now placed front and center on the left side, while deeper configuration menus move to a separate section, making everything easier to find. Up top, the notification center now includes release notes and improved alerts to keep you informed at a glance.

We’ve also added better visibility into integrations, allowing operators to quickly check system status and run syncs when needed. Search has been upgraded across the platform—from multi-order lookups to clearer default filters—making it quicker to find the exact data you need. The super search now highlights “perfect matches,” meaning one keystroke brings you straight to the right customer, order, or location.

Finally, fly-ins and customer/location cards have been redesigned to show more information on a single screen, reducing unnecessary clicks and helping you access diagnostics, history, and services faster than ever.

These changes may look simple, but together they create a smoother, more powerful user experience—one that helps you stay efficient and focused in your day-to-day operations. We hope you enjoy this sneak peek behind today’s advent calendar door and look forward to hearing your feedback as the UI continues to evolve.

Reach out if you want to learn more or if you want to see it live!

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