Open Fibre Data Standard and the visibility gap in network resilience

Informal conversations among network operators from different organizations surface important themes and conversations that may not happen within their organizations. The importance of visibility in building resilient systems was an important topic of conversation at the New Zealand Network Operators' Group (NZNOG) 2026.

Recent events in New Zealand have made the relationship between visibility and resilience difficult to ignore. Cyclone Gabrielle (2023) exposed structural weaknesses in how well-deployed fibre infrastructure is understood. In several cases, what appeared to be diverse paths were, in reality, closely coupled, following the same transport corridors or sharing common physical risks.

This is not a new problem, but it is becoming more impactful as our societies become more connected.

When resilience assumptions break down

Both operational experience and recent analysis point to a gap in our ability to measure resilience.

Jon Brewer's NZNOG 2025 talk on communications resilience made the case that infrastructure mapping can be used to move beyond high-level assumptions and identify practical vulnerabilities in telecommunications networks.

He suggested mapping dependencies such as shared power infrastructure and single access routes, as well as visualizing environmental risks like fault lines, liquefaction zones, and areas prone to landslides. Jon's presentation in 2025 showed that resilience takes into account the physical and environmental context in which networks operate.

The Hawke's Bay telecommunications resilience report reinforces this view. It recommends practical measures such as improving backup power, strengthening site security, and, importantly, increasing diversity in fibre backbone paths.

These are well-understood principles. However, applying them effectively depends on knowing where infrastructure is physically located, how it interconnects, and identifying hidden dependencies.

Similarly, discussions at NZNOG 2023, including Simon Allard's reflections on Cyclone Gabrielle and business continuity, reinforced that failures are rarely isolated events. They tend to cascade across shared infrastructure, particularly where physical diversity is limited.

These examples show that network resilience is increased by a deep understanding of the physical infrastructure underpinning it.

The problem with fibre visibility

Comparing terrestrial fibre with undersea cables illustrates the visibility gap. Undersea systems are relatively well documented and widely mapped. Far less information is available about terrestrial network infrastructure.

Some operators publish network maps. Others do not. Where data is available, it is often inconsistent in format, incomplete or outdated, and difficult to integrate with other sources.

Even when detailed maps exist, they tend to be static representations, useful for visualization, but of limited use for analysis.

These limitations make it difficult for network operators to confidently answer questions such as:

• Are these paths truly diverse?
• Where are the shared risks?
• How would a regional disruption propagate through the network?

Without structured data, these questions are often answered through approximation.

Introducing a common schema for describing fibre infrastructure

The Open Fibre Data Standard (OFDS) provides a common way to describe fibre infrastructure as structured, machine-readable data, rather than focusing on visual maps.

At a high level, OFDS defines a consistent schema for describing fibre routes, nodes, and interconnections. It allows for the inclusion of technical attributes such as capacity and standards, alongside administrative context such as ownership and operational status.

The ODFS schema combines openness with interoperability. When data is described using a common schema, it can be combined, analysed, and reused across organizations. This allows fibre infrastructure to be modelled more thoroughly and accurately.

Instead of relying on assumptions or incomplete diagrams, structured data makes it possible to identify single points of failure across multiple networks, better understand geographic and physical risks, and make more informed decisions around upgrades and expansion.

Shared visibility becomes particularly relevant in environments where infrastructure ownership is distributed. No single operator has a complete view, but collectively, that view can exist.

Importantly, this is not about exposing sensitive data unnecessarily. It is about having enough shared structure to make the data usable.

Openness as a path to usable data

A common concern with any form of infrastructure transparency is security. The instinct to limit visibility is understandable, particularly in the context of critical infrastructure.

However, experience suggests the tradeoff can be more nuanced. The cost of outages, both operational and economic, can be significant, particularly when dependencies are not well understood. In contrast, structured and controlled data sharing can improve resilience without necessarily increasing risk.

There are also technical approaches that allow data to remain useful while abstracting sensitive details. This allows for meaningful insight without requiring full disclosure.

In this sense, OFDS is less about 'open maps' and more about 'usable data'.

A pattern network operators will recognize

The reference to OFDS in broader NZNOG discussions, including summaries of the event, reflects how the idea fits into a wider conversation. Across multiple sessions, consistent themes emerged:

• Infrastructure is becoming more complex.
• Dependencies are harder to see.
• Resilience increasingly depends on coordination rather than redundancy alone.

OFDS sits naturally within this space, following a pattern that is familiar to the NOG community. It provides a way to improve shared understanding without requiring uniform ownership or control, like many of the tools and practices that underpin today's Internet.

Not just for network operators

One of the more interesting aspects of OFDS is that its value extends beyond network operations.

Standardized fibre data has value for governments planning infrastructure investment, researchers analyzing connectivity and resilience, and communities advocating for improved access.

Resilience is not just a property of individual networks, but of interconnected systems. In this context, OFDS is as much about coordination as it is about data.

A practical way forward

Resilience is often framed in terms of redundancy: More links, more paths, more capacity. These remain important.

However, recent events suggest that visibility is an underappreciated contributor to resilience. The Open Fibre Data Standard offers a path to coordinated visibility of network infrastructure.

Adopting a new standard can appear to be a significant step, but it does not need to be all or nothing.

Operators can start by reviewing existing data, identifying gaps, and aligning new datasets with common structures. From there, exploring available tools and engaging with the broader community can provide a practical path forward.

Over time, incremental adoption can lead to meaningful improvements in how infrastructure is understood and managed. Get involved in the development and adoption of OFDS.

Warren is an IT and cybersecurity enthusiast with over 20 years' experience in IT service delivery, coordination, and teaching. He enjoys attending conferences and user groups, and is passionate about giving back to the community.

The views expressed by the authors of this blog are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of APNIC. Please note a Code of Conduct applies to this blog.