You can build a fiber network and still not be an internet service provider. That's not a technicality, it's the part of the business most new and mid-size operators underestimate. Getting light down a fiber strand is one problem. Turning that light into an actual internet connection a subscriber can use, with IP addresses assigned, traffic routed, and enough public IPv4 capacity to go around, is a completely different problem, and it's usually the one that stalls a launch timeline the most.
What a Virtual ISP actually is
A Virtual ISP is everything between your fiber and the internet, run for you. Concretely, that means the Broadband Network Gateway (BNG) that terminates subscriber sessions, IP addressing and IP breakout, Carrier-Grade NAT (CGNAT) to stretch limited public IPv4 space across your subscriber base, and the middle-mile connectivity that gets your traffic to the internet in the first place. All of it comes with 24/7/365 monitoring and Tier-2/3 support behind it, and a white-label subscriber helpdesk that operates under your brand, not a third party's.
The point isn't that you couldn't build this yourself. It's that building it yourself means hiring or training network engineers who specialize in BNG and CGNAT architecture before you've passed your first hundred homes, standing up monitoring you'll need to staff around the clock, and negotiating IP transit agreements that a company running this at scale across many operators already has in place. A Virtual ISP model gives you that operational layer without the build.
Why CGNAT specifically matters right now
Public IPv4 addresses are scarce and expensive, and that scarcity isn't improving. Every new fiber operator runs into the same math problem: not enough public IPv4 to hand every subscriber their own address. CGNAT solves this by letting many subscribers share a smaller pool of public addresses without each one noticing the difference, but it has to be configured and monitored correctly, since a poorly run CGNAT deployment shows up to subscribers as random connection failures that are genuinely hard to diagnose from a symptom alone. This is exactly the kind of specialized, unglamorous infrastructure work that's easy to underbuild if it's not someone's full-time job.
What this looks like at scale
This isn't a theoretical model. AEX's Virtual ISP service runs in production across more than 300 locations serving over 500,000 subscribers on managed networks today. The design goal behind that scale is stated plainly on the Network Services page: predictable performance as you grow, no re-architecture and no renegotiation every time you add a new market. That's the actual test of whether an operational layer like this is working, not whether it functions at your current size, but whether it still works the same way at ten times that size.
Virtual ISP vs. Managed Network Services: not the same thing
These two get confused because both are "run for you" models, but they cover different layers. Virtual ISP is specifically the internet-facing and IP layer, BNG, addressing, CGNAT, the connection between your network and the internet. Managed Network Services is broader NOC operations for an existing network, installation, commissioning, and engineering escalation. An operator can use one, the other, or both, depending on how much of the stack they already have people and process for.
What you still need to bring
A Virtual ISP model doesn't replace your fiber build, your OLTs and ONTs, or your relationship with subscribers. It replaces the specific engineering and operational burden of running the IP and internet-connectivity layer behind your network. Equipment procurement, including the hardware this layer runs on, is handled separately but designed to coordinate with it, so delivery and commissioning stay aligned rather than becoming two disconnected timelines.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Virtual ISP?
A Virtual ISP is a fully managed service that runs everything between an operator's fiber network and the internet: the Broadband Network Gateway, IP addressing and breakout, Carrier-Grade NAT, and the middle-mile connectivity to reach the internet, along with monitoring and subscriber support behind it.
What's included in AEX's Virtual ISP service?
BNG, IP management, IP breakout, and CGNAT, all fully managed, plus middle-mile connectivity to the AEX backbone with 24/7/365 monitoring and Tier-2/3 support, and a white-label subscriber helpdesk operating under the operator's own brand.
Do I still need to build my own network core with a Virtual ISP model?
No. That's the specific problem this model solves, it replaces the BNG, IP, and CGNAT layer you would otherwise need to design, build, and staff yourself, so you can offer internet service without first becoming a network engineering shop.
How does CGNAT fit into a fiber operator's network?
CGNAT lets many subscribers share a smaller pool of scarce public IPv4 addresses without individually noticing the difference. It has to be configured and monitored correctly, since a poorly run deployment shows up as hard-to-diagnose connection failures for subscribers.
Does a Virtual ISP model scale as I add new markets?
Yes, that's the specific design goal, predictable performance without re-architecting or renegotiating every time a new market is added, which is what running at production scale across 300+ locations and 500,000+ subscribers is meant to prove out.
What's the difference between Virtual ISP and Managed Network Services?
Virtual ISP covers the internet-facing IP layer specifically, BNG, addressing, CGNAT. Managed Network Services covers broader NOC operations for an existing network, including installation, commissioning, and engineering escalation. They solve different problems and can be used independently or together.
