Smarter Open Access
A founder-led Open-Access
fiber platform built to own
"The Digital Toll Road"
Mike Harris pioneered privately funded, citywide open-access fibre networks in the United States, deploying $1Bn of committed capital.
His next chapter (Smarter Open Access) is building a new portfolio of cities using the experience, relationships, systems, and operating knowledge developed over more than a decade in the market.
Smarter Open Access gives qualified invites investors and strategic partners to access a capital-ready US fiber platform built from the original SiFi Networks playbook: city agreements, ISP readiness, delivery partners, technology, operations, reporting, and a first city ready to build.
Watch the investment case.
The short video explains why open-access fiber is a more efficient infrastructure model:
One shared citywide network, multiple ISP tenants, recurring wholesale access revenue, and ownership of the enduring fiber asset.
The Digital Toll Road
Own the route - Monetise the access.
The build creates the asset. Access creates the recurring revenue.
Smarter Open Access builds the citywide fiber route once, owns the underlying infrastructure, and enables multiple ISPs to use the same shared network.
The model separates infrastructure ownership from retail consumer risk: ISPs compete for customers, while the platform monetises wholesale access.
The architect of the original SiFi Networks model is ready to build again.
Mike Harris built the playbook for privately funded, citywide open-access fiber in the United States.
Mike is the founder and former co-owner behind the original SiFi Networks business. He conceived, structured, capitalised, and built the FiberCity model from inception, gaining direct experience across municipal development agreements, network design, civil deployment, technology integration, ISP partnerships, and operating governance.
Smarter Open Access is Mike's next founder-led chapter: a cleaner, focused platform built around the lessons learned from a decade of real deployment.
A complete, turnkey open-access fiber platform. The value is the operating experience, knowledge and expertise: what works, what fails, what delays cities, what unlocks permitting, what investors need, what ISPs need before launch, and what a robust platform needs before it can scale.
Mike Harris proved the model with SiFi Networks.
Smarter Open Access will now build on those learnings.
The next platform will move forward without starting from zero.
The original SiFi Networks business proved that privately funded, citywide open-access fiber networks can be successfully developed in the United States.
Smarter Open Access takes the proven elements of that model and rebuilds around a focused founder-led platform: development agreements, technical capability, software, network operations, equipment relationships, ISP readiness, and supply-chain knowledge.
The opportunity is to back the next phase before the U.S. open-access fiber market becomes further consolidated by larger infrastructure funds and strategic telecom platforms.
A window before open-access fibre consolidates.
US fiber remains a long-duration infrastructure opportunity, but the window is changing.
Capital is increasingly looking for scalable platforms (not isolated projects).
As the market matures, strategic telecoms and infrastructure funds are likely to consolidate proven open-access models.
Smarter Open Access is positioned before a re-rating:
founder-led, platform-ready and assembled - before new capital goes into the ground.
The US fiber market isn’t short of capital.
It’s short of proven execution.
Citywide fiber deployment is a chain of interdependencies: municipal agreements, permitting, design, construction, active equipment, ISP onboarding, OSS/BSS, network operations, billing, reporting, and customer activation. Most platforms discover weaknesses after capital has already been committed. Smarter Open Access is designed to solve those failure points before deployment begins.
Infrastructure Demand
Infrastructure investors understand the long-term demand for fiber. Open-access networks can create durable infrastructure value, recurring wholesale revenue, and strategic optionality.
The Execution Challenge
Municipal agreements, permitting, civil engineering, trenching, network design, active equipment integration, ISP onboarding, and operations all need to work together. A single weak link will delay deployment.
The Platform Solution
Smarter Open Access brings the operating playbook, partner ecosystem, software, supply chain, and leadership required to seamlessly turn capital into reliable fiber networks.
Open Access is "The Right Way"
Closed Access is "The Wrong Way"
We're building from a proven deployment playbook.
Deploying $1Bn of committed capital when complete.
12 Years of Experience, Knowledge and Expertise.
The original SiFi Networks model created real-world execution knowledge that will now be carried into Smarter Open Access.
Circa $1Bn
private capital committed across the original SiFi Networks platform
US city networks built across California and the Midwest
premises covered across the completed SNA network portfolio
years of open-access fibre deployment learning
From city agreement to operating network.
Smarter Open Access is designed to move through the full open-access lifecycle without rebuilding the operating model at each stage.
The platform has ready-to-go development agreements in multiple high-priority U.S. cities. NetPMD supports feasibility, design, permitting, and integration. Proven construction and supply-chain partners support mobilisation and build. Nokia-backed technology supports network performance. Pre-committed ISPs can launch retail services once networks are activated. SNO and Reperio support operations, provisioning, billing, reporting, and in-life management.
The result is a coordinated deployment of 10Gbps-capable fibre networks delivering digitally connected and sustainable cities while closing the digital divide.
The hard pieces are already assembled.
Smarter Open Access brings together all the agreements, operators, technology, software, ISPs, and supply chain needed for immediate execution.
Shovel-ready pipeline
Pre-secured development agreements in multiple high-priority U.S. cities, with strong municipal support.
Proven leadership
Core experience from the original SiFi Networks model, with hands-on knowledge of designing, building, and operating.
NetPMD
fiber network design, engineering, permitting, active equipment integration, and smart-city capability.
SNO
Specialist Network Operations provides 24/7 network operations capability, construction oversight, and monitoring.
Reperio
A fully operational OSS/BSS platform by Arian Hapus for provisioning, billing, customer management, and reporting.
Nokia
Strategic equipment supply and technology partnership supporting network performance and reliability.
Pre-committed ISPs
Retail providers ready to activate services as networks go live, reducing launch risk and accelerating revenue.
Supply chain
Specialised trenching crews and reliable sourcing for fiber, ducts, and related materials to support large-scale deployment.
Market Tailwind
Copper retirement strengthens adoption take up rates.
Legacy copper networks are bandwidth-constrained, expensive to maintain, and increasingly being deprioritised by major carriers. As copper is retired, degraded, or replaced, customers will be pushed towards fiber alternatives. That does not create the investment case on its own, but it supports take-rate growth, network utilisation, wholesale revenue, and long-term infrastructure value.
Bandwidth
Constrained
Legacy copper cannot match fibre capacity for modern broadband demand
Maintenance
Costly
Ageing copper infrastructure requires increasing spend with diminishing returns
Carrier Strategy
Deprioritised
Major carriers are actively winding down copper investment in favour of fibre alternatives
Capital creates the asset. Activated networks create the revenue.
Smarter Open Access is built on a dual-return model.
1) Capital appreciation
Every dollar deployed into construction helps create a physical fibre infrastructure asset. As each city network is built, activated, and connected to premises, the platform’s underlying asset base grows.
2) Recurring revenue
Once lit, each network is designed to generate long-term wholesale income from ISP tenants. The platform owns the infrastructure layer while ISPs carry the retail customer relationship.
That's the double-play: asset-backed infrastructure value plus long-term wholesale access revenue.
Specialist capability without permanent overhead.
Mike Harris built the playbook for privately funded, citywide open-access fiber in the United States.
Citywide fiber requires specialist teams during design, build, activation, and operations.
The problem is what happens after the network is live.
Traditional platforms often carry permanent specialist headcount long after the heavy deployment work is complete.
Smarter Open Access utilises specialist capability through a coordinated partner ecosystem: NetPMD for design and engineering, SNO for 24/7 operations and QA/QC, Reperio by Arian Hapus for OSS/BSS and reporting, and Nokia for technology. The platform is designed to own the clean infrastructure asset without unnecessary post-build overhead.
250+
NetPMD Cities Designed
Homes and Businesses
Reduction in Workloads
Fielding Acceleration
Built for serious infrastructure capital and strategic fiber partners.
Smarter Open Access is intended for qualified parties that understand long-duration digital infrastructure assets.
Infrastructure funds
For funds seeking a capital-ready platform with a founder-led operating model and U.S. fiber exposure.
Open-access platforms
For strategic players looking to accelerate deployment, access pipeline, expand into new cities, or partner with a team that has already built the model.
Family offices
For long-term private investors seeking exposure to physical infrastructure, wholesale revenue potential, and a founder-led platform.
The key question is not whether to deploy capital.
It's whether the platform can execute repeatedly.
Smarter Open Access is built to overcome the real risk factors in citywide fiber deployment.
What is SiFi Networks?
SiFi refers to the original SiFi Networks, North America’s leading privately owned telecom company, which developed privately funded, citywide open-access fiber networks across the United States. That original portfolio has been acquired is now separate from Smarter Open Access.
How are the execution layers defined?
Execution-ready means the critical layers are already identified and coordinated: municipal development agreements, design, permitting, network operations, OSS/BSS software, equipment supply, ISP readiness, construction partners, and supply chain.
What is the main use of capital?
The primary use of capital is city network construction: fiber and duct deployment, permitting, mobilisation, materials, active equipment, ISP activation, working capital, and related deployment infrastructure.
Is the investment structure fixed?
No. The preferred structure can be shaped around investor mandate, city sequencing, governance requirements, and desired level of control. The deck covers platform investment, city-by-city funding, joint venture, co-development, strategic acquisition, and operating partnership structures.
Where can we review the city pipeline?
Pipeline detail can be made available to qualified parties under appropriate confidentiality arrangements.
Is this an offer to invest?
No. The website is for introductory discussion purposes only. Any investment opportunity would be subject to formal documentation, diligence, eligibility, and legal review.
The platform is assembled. Just add capital.
Smarter Open Access is ready for qualified conversations with infrastructure funds, strategic fiber platforms, and private capital partners.
Request more information to receive details on the platform, pipeline, proposed structures, operating partners, and next steps.