Public and private sector organisations can more easily share assets, such as fibre, ducts, ethernet and street furniture, thanks to the latest partnership announced between AssetHUB and Cooperative Network Infrastructure (CNI).
The AssetHUB platform can now be used by all 50 of CNI’s members, to manage incoming enquiries regarding their fibre and other infrastructure assets.
CNI represents public and private sector organisations, helping them share digital infrastructure in Tameside, Blackpool, Manchester, Lancaster, Brighton and Sussex.
“This partnership is fundamental in bringing together the interests of organisations and sharing infrastructure in a safe and secure way,” said Rob Leenderts, CEO of AssetHUB. “With free open access to a ‘shop window’ of digital assets, CNI members will be able to deliver full-fibre connectivity faster than ever.”
Tony Doyle, Chair, CNI, said: “Sharing infrastructure is critical, otherwise Altnets will have to lay more fibre or add new poles, resulting in more customer disruption, wasted investment, unnecessary carbon emissions and expenditure. AssetHUB is providing a marketplace platform for CNI to share assets between members more easily, while also serving as a mechanism to attract more members and encourage the sharing of more assets.”
“The partnership underscores our continued dedication in bridging the gap between operators and public sector organisations and helping provide communities across the UK with full-fibre connectivity,” Doyle added.
Both organisations have also been jointly working with the Independent Network Cooperative Association’s (INCA) Special Interest Groups to encourage Altnets to share physical infrastructure. A trial of AssetHUB will be directly available for all INCA members in the Infrastructure Sharing Group (ISG) for pole, duct and cabinet space sharing.
Paddy Paddison, CEO, INCA, welcomed the partnership between AssetHub and CNI, and said: “Collaborating and sharing between members has always been a key part of INCA membership. We are therefore delighted to see this partnership, allowing our members who want to share infrastructure to do so more effectively, with reduced timescales and increased standardisation. We look forward to working together to ensure infrastructure sharing is encouraged and supported across our membership.”
In areas where Openreach Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA) products are not available, Altnets might be hesitant to enter into commercial sharing agreements with their competition for access to cable ducts and poles, particularly when they have invested heavily themselves. AssetHUB caters for this by sharing information with approved customers only, via its secure online platform, while CNI simplifies commercial arrangements and promotes good collaborative practice using its proven governance model.
