The Open Fibre Data Standard (OFDS) is an open data, open standards initiative supported by the Internet Society.
Put simply, it seeks to develop and implement a standardized way of describing terrestrial fibre optic networks designed to enable effective information sharing and aggregation among telecommunication regulators and operators.
As a standard, it facilitates the exchange, analysis, and visualization of fibre network data across different stakeholders, including governments, telecom providers, and researchers. By providing a consistent schema, OFDS enhances interoperability, transparency, and informed decision-making in broadband expansion efforts.
OFDS describes what data to publish about fibre optic networks, and how to structure and format data for publication and use. It does so through a set of common concepts and definitions about what fibre network data should contain and how it should be structured. The standard also contains guidance and tooling to support the publication and use of fibre network data in a range of formats to suit most user needs.
Benefits of OFDS
- Helps governments and communication regulators assess national network infrastructure holistically. In particular, it can help to identify not just gaps in infrastructure but also areas of network fragility.
- OFDS data can be an invaluable resource to investors to facilitate better decision-making for infrastructure investments.
- A common data standard ensures the ability to integrate OFDS data with GIS tools and mapping platforms.
- Software tools established to support OFDS in one country are easily transferable to others thanks to a common data framework.
Strengthening Internet Resilience
Established in 2022, the OFDS has been developed in collaboration with the World Bank, International Telecommunications Union, Mozilla Corporation, Liquid Intelligent Technologies, CSquared, and Digital Council Africa.
Fibre optic infrastructure plays an increasingly important role as the backbone of Internet traffic around the world. Understanding the interplay and interconnection of these fibre optic backbones is essential to developing a more complete picture of Internet resilience.
In 2025, the Internet Society is working to advance awareness and adoption of the standard around the world through in-person workshops and technical assistance. We are also in the process of facilitating the establishment a multistakeholder governance mechanism to guide the evolution of the standard and associated resources. Through this process a dedicated web resource will be established to support the standard and roadmap for the development of technical tools to assist in the implementation of the standard by operators and regulators.
You can find out more about the Open Fibre Data Standard and its development by reading the documentation (in development). Technical users can explore the standard on GitHub and contribute by raising issues.
Image © Katja Anokhina on Unsplash