Open call issue [Editor's Note].

Each year, the IEEE Network July/August issue publishes accepted open call papers, and nine such papers are included in this issue. The challenges of deploying next generation access (NGA) networks come from the network architecture and technical options to provide advanced features. The first article, "Architecting a National Optical Fiber Open-Access Network: The Australian Challenge" by Vijay Sivaraman et al., inspired by the ongoing construction of the national broadband network in Australia, discusses the potential challenges of building a nation-wide and open-access optical network, with emphasis on fiber layout and interconnection between the network and service providers. The deployment of NGA is not only a technical issue, but also an economic one. Based on a thorough techno-economic model, the second article, "Risks Associated with Next Generation Access Networks Investment Scenarios" by Dimitris Katsianis et al. evaluates investment risks of NGA for various scenarios. In addition, the authors discuss the effectiveness of the European Commission's Recommendation on regulated access to NGA, targeting to tackle the regulatory trade-off between encouraging investments and promoting competition. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]