The infrastructure sharing group (ISG) is aimed at helping altnets share ducts for the rollout of full fibre.
Currently, Openreach is required by Ofcom to share access to its cable ducts and poles through a regulated PIA product.
However, in areas where Openreach PIA is not available, sharing duct infrastructure becomes much more complicated.
Regulation is already in place to ease sharing between competing network players, however altnets are often wary of entering into commercial sharing agreements with competitors, having invested so much capex in deploying the infrastructure themselves.
But without these agreements, altnets are often forced to deploy their own additional ducts, driving up costs and causing additional disruption in that particular area.
INCA said that the formation of the ISG will help to identify opportunities for infrastructure sharing between members and simplify the agreement process.
More specifically, the group will look at opportunities for sharing between altnets and third parties, and the possibilities of standardising commercial, technical and operational approaches to sharing. It will also assess the suitability of the existing Access to Infrastructure Regulations framework, and explore the need for improved communication between all parties, including local communities.
"The creation of the group has been well received by members, who are in agreement that sharing infrastructure should be prioritised when deploying networks, especially in areas where Openreach PIA is not available or at capacity," said Guy Miller, CEO of MS3 Networks and chair of the ISG. "As the CEO of a network builder focussed in an area where PIA is not widely available, we know better than most the challenge this brings to us and the communities in which we operate."