NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenya will introduce an Open Fibre Data Standard (OFDS) and a Shared Fibre Infrastructure Database to improve broadband access and cut costs, the Communications Authority of Kenya has announced.
Speaking at a stakeholder workshop in Nairobi, CA, Director General David Mugonyi said the initiative will reshape how terrestrial fibre networks are tracked, safeguarded, and deployed.
“Despite this progress, limited visibility and lack of standardisation in terrestrial fibre infrastructure data present a significant challenge to our forward momentum,” Mugonyi said.
Kenya has expanded mobile coverage to all 47 counties and invested in submarine cables. However, terrestrial fibre routes remain largely undocumented and inconsistently reported.
This has led to duplication. Some projects funded through the Universal Service Fund and the Digital Superhighway initiative have reportedly laid fibre along existing routes, wasting public resources and causing avoidable infrastructure damage.
“We cannot collectively continue to operate with this level of confusion, waste, and inefficiency,” Mugonyi said.
The OFDS framework, supported by the World Bank under the Kenya Digital Economy Acceleration Project, will allow secure sharing of essential, non-sensitive fibre data among operators and regulators.
The regulator expects the system to deliver accurate fibre mapping, reduce duplication, guide investments to underserved areas, and improve coordination with road, rail, and energy agencies.
Some operators have raised concerns about commercial confidentiality and cybersecurity. Mugonyi assured stakeholders that sensitive data will not be disclosed.
“This is a framework for achieving superior collective outcomes through coordination. It is not a platform for exposing sensitive commercial information,” he said.
The CA will adopt a phased governance model with tiered access and industry representation in oversight.
The reforms come as Kenya positions itself as a regional digital hub amid growing demand from fintech, e-commerce, and cloud services.
