An open access model for broadband could help Kenya roll-out internet access more rapidly, according to Abdirahman Sheikh who is the chief executive officer of Soliton Telmec Kenya.

An open access broadband model involves competing telecom firms and internet service providers sharing infrastructure.

Soliton Telmec Kenya offers 24-hour support services to ' fibre networks.

“I have seen streets in Nairobi where there are up to six fibre connection belonging to different players,” Sheikh said.

“But in Nairobi and Mombasa everyone is rushing to get the end-user and who is going to bill the end-user,” he said.

Such a ‘rush’ leaves other areas that do not have ‘profit’ potential without broadband connections, said Sheikh.

Sheikh added that if companies embraced the open access model, then they could have a private agreement on how the resources are going to be shared.

He gave an example of the Kenya Power fibre optic cable project in which the firm offers connectivity services through the leasing of its cables to all players in the market.

“Players need to come up with a fair agreement where there is no discrimination between service providers,” he said.

Sheikh gave an example of the building owners who can set up a singular broadband access to their property and have an offsite area where different service providers can plug in.

This is less messy than all providers cabling business and residential buildings on their own, he noted.

One disadvantage to this model, though, is the lack of legislation and open access is only an option for the operators.

He was speaking at the ongoing Aitec East Africa ICT Summit in Nairobi, Kenya.