Wholesale and open-access business models for fiber and network-infrastructure providers are not new. However, up till now, there has been a very limited emphasis on delivering newer and more innovative models for wholesale backhaul. 5G is set to disrupt the historical status quo. In other words, 5G will open up a whole new world of opportunities for wholesale backhaul.

Across the world many fiber network wholesalers are in a race to put fiber in the ground. New techniques have reduced the time it takes to deploy optical fiber and technology advancements have made optical fiber affordable enough to allow INOs to lay more capacity than they’ll ever need. However, achieving fiber connectivity is just the first step. The next, more complicated, step is deciding how to best monetize the investment in this fiber infrastructure.

In between dark fiber services and lit services lies a lesser known set of services known as “dim” services. Less expensive to maintain than lit services but with more options and higher revenue than dark fiber, dim services are an ideal service for many fiber network operators and their customers. With 5G on the horizon, this is the perfect time to reassess your pricing and business models.