COS Systems sets Open Access Day 2026 for May 17 in Kissimmee

By AI, Created 10:02 AM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – COS Systems will host the third annual Open Access Day on May 17, 2026, in Kissimmee, Florida, as a pre-conference workshop for Fiber Connect 2026. The forum will focus on shared fiber infrastructure, API standardization, and cross-market deployment lessons for operators, ISPs, investors and technology partners.

Why it matters: - Open Access Day is built around the operating model behind shared fiber networks, where interoperability, provisioning and wholesale coordination can shape deployment speed and long-term costs. - The forum brings together the people funding, building and running these networks, which can influence how Open Access expands across markets and technologies. - The program is designed for practitioner-level discussion, which makes it more relevant to near-term network operators than a general industry conference.

What happened: - COS Systems announced Open Access Day 2026 for May 17, 2026, from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Kissimmee, Florida. - The event will run as a pre-conference workshop at Fiber Connect 2026. - COS Systems says the gathering is for operators, ISPs, infrastructure investors and technology partners working on shared fiber infrastructure. - This is the third annual Open Access Day. - The formal program ends with an after-panel drinks reception from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM. - The evening continues with the Open (Access) Bar at Celebration Brewing Company in Celebration, Florida, starting at 7:00 PM.

The details: - The opening session features a keynote and fireside chat led by Sajan Parikh, chief technical officer at COS Systems and vice chair of the Open Access Network Forum. - The opening session, titled “The Standardization Imperative: Building a Common Language for Open Access,” focuses on API standardization and a common operating framework for Open Access networks. - The discussion will cover wholesale interfaces, provisioning protocols, billing structures and voluntary industry alignment. - The session will then open to facilitated audience discussion. - Panel I, “Built to Scale — How Open Access Architecture Accelerates Consolidation,” will examine how shared infrastructure design and standardized APIs can reduce operating expenses, speed post-acquisition time-to-market and help consolidators run multiple ISP brands on one network. - Panel II, “Beyond Fiber — Open Access Across Fixed Wireless, Hybrid Builds, and Multi-Technology Infrastructure,” will look at whether Open Access also applies to fixed wireless access and hybrid deployments. - Panel II will address serviceability, provisioning differences and the use of fixed wireless as a complementary layer in phased infrastructure strategies for underserved markets. - Panel III, “What Travels and What Doesn’t — Lessons from Open Access Deployments Across Continents,” will bring together operators from North America, Europe and Africa. - Panel III will examine take-rate dynamics, active versus passive operator models, exclusivity structures and the role of brand differentiation across regulatory and market contexts. - The panels will include operators, ISPs, infrastructure investors, equipment vendors, GIS and design platforms, engineers and analysts. - Panelists include representatives from AT&T, Nokia, PMP Strategy, Gigapower and others, alongside independent network builders with deployments spanning multiple continents. - COS Systems is hosting the event. - Elite sponsors are Arcadis and 1Finity. - Day sponsors are Intellipop, Bonfire, OciusX, Emtelle, Tarana and HDR. - Vetro is sponsoring the after-panel drinks. - Registration is available at Open Access Day 2026 registration.

Between the lines: - COS Systems is framing the event around a core industry problem: Open Access has expanded, but the tooling and operating standards have not kept pace. - The emphasis on API standards and cross-border deployment suggests the industry is still searching for a more repeatable playbook for shared networks. - The panel mix signals that Open Access is no longer just a fiber-only conversation; the company is pushing the model into fixed wireless and hybrid builds as well.

What’s next: - Attendees will get a half-day program before Fiber Connect 2026, followed by evening networking events. - The sessions may surface practical operating norms around interoperability, billing, provisioning and multi-technology deployment. - COS Systems is positioning the forum as an annual place for operators and partners to compare deployment realities across regions and business models.

The bottom line: - Open Access Day 2026 is less a product pitch than an industry working session on how to make shared infrastructure operate at scale.