The momentum behind the development of open-access fiber infrastructures is surging. Tillman FiberCo announced recently that it had secured $200 million from Northleaf Capital Partners to design, build, and own open access fiber grids across five U.S. states. Moreover, there's potential for an additional $300 million infusion from Northleaf in the foreseeable future.

An open-access fiber grid serves competing Internet Service Providers (ISPs) who then establish service to customers. This collaborative approach ensures that as numerous ISPs deliver services via a shared open access platform, competitive pricing becomes inevitable, benefiting both residential and commercial consumers.

While many entities involved in fiber grid development prefer not to retain ownership of the physical infrastructure, others see value in both constructing and owning the network, subsequently offering capacity to ISPs at wholesale rates.

Established in 2021 under the umbrella of Tillman Global Holdings, Tillman FiberCo designs, constructs and owns fiber infrastructures. Unlike sibling subsidiary Tillman Networks, which builds networks, the Tillman FiberCo will build and own the infrastructure and be a wholesale distributor of open access fiber solutions tailored for both homes and businesses. The new subsidiary will use scalable XGS-PON and Wi-Fi 6 or 6E.

Tillman FiberCo is now licensed as a Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC) in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, and Texas. Construction is set to begin late in 2023. The company is targeting a list of suburbs and metro fringes. A primary tenant will be chosen to make the network available for other ISPs.

The open access model has been successful in the U.K. and Europe and now it’s on a roll in the U.S. In 2022 AT&T and BlackRock Alternatives formed Gigapower as an open access commercial wholesaler. Other players include UTOPIA Fiber, SiFi Networks, Underline Infrastructure, Ting Internet is now the primary tenant on several open access platforms, signaling a shift in industry dynamics.