Open Access Middle Mile Broadband Networks Gaining Momentum

Middle mile open access fiber networks are springing up all over. And although these networks share one key common principle—open access for other network operators—each implementation seems to have its own unique funding and operational model.

One of the more unique models is that of Massachusetts Broadband Institute, which announced that it has chosen Axia NetMedia Corporation, an international broadband network operator, to serve as the operator of the 1,338-mile network the institute is building in western and north central Massachusetts. MBI isn't the first middle mile project to use an independent company to manage the network. But it is the first U.S. organization to choose Axia NetMedia for that role. Axia NetMedia has broadband networks in Canada, France, Singapore and Spain, including a 9,320-mile open access network in Alberta, Canada. “This is a critical step toward extending broadband access and bridging the digital divide,” said MBI Director Judith Dumont in an announcement of the deal with Axia NetMedia. “Axia’s expertise in successfully developing broadband networks will help us deploy high-speed Internet services to residents and businesses that have been unconnected for too long.” Another unique aspect of the MBI network–dubbed MassBroadband 123– is its funding, which included $45.4 million from a broadband stimulus award and $26.2 million in matching funds from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. MBI was created as a result of a Broadband Act adopted by Massachusetts state legislators in 2008.