Montenegro is preparing legislation designed to reduce the cost of high-speed broadband deployment by increasing access to and shared use of existing physical infrastructure. Parliament is due to consider the legislation as part of a framework governing access to infrastructure used for very-high-capacity electronic communications networks.
Lowering the Cost of Fibre Deployment
Civil works are a major cost in fibre deployment, with the installation of ducts, trench excavation and securing rights of way accounting for a substantial portion of network investment, particularly in smaller towns and rural areas. The greater use of existing ducts, poles and other infrastructure could reduce the cost and time required to expand broadband networks.
New Demand for Infrastructure Services
The proposed framework could create demand for specialist services covering fibre engineering, GIS mapping, infrastructure databases, duct and pole inspections, permitting support and shared-network management. Accurate information on existing infrastructure will be important for effective network sharing. Telecom operators need to know which assets are available, where spare capacity exists and which entities control access to them. This increases the importance of digital asset registers and network-mapping systems for infrastructure management.
Additional Use of Existing Infrastructure
Infrastructure owners could also gain an additional source of revenue. Utilities, municipalities and other operators with existing ducts or poles could allow telecom companies to use available physical capacity. This could give previously operational infrastructure an additional commercial function.
Reduced Duplication in Network Construction
For telecom companies, infrastructure sharing could reduce duplication by limiting cases where multiple operators excavate the same streets or construct parallel networks.
Coordinated construction and shared infrastructure could allow more capital to be directed towards active network equipment and customer connections rather than duplicated civil works.
Implementation Requirements
The effectiveness of the framework will depend on access pricing, technical standards and dispute-resolution procedures. Telecom operators will also require shared infrastructure to be reliable and available under predictable commercial conditions. The legislation addresses the physical infrastructure underlying broadband deployment, with the potential expansion of fibre networks depending partly on the more efficient use of existing ducts and poles alongside new construction.
