Network Coordinator, Sterling Local Area Municipal Broadband

linkedin.com/in/bill-underhill-ba7a2510/ 

We have a long record of innovation, going back to 1910 when Sterling Municipal Light Department (SMLD) began as the electric utility in our small central- Massachusetts community. We’ve taken this to the next level with Sterling Local Area Municipal Broadband (LAMB), our town-owned and managed internet service. Leveraging state and federal funding, we have deployed a state-of-the-art, all-fiber broadband network that delivers high-speed internet services up to 1 Gbps to residents and 2 Gbps for businesses. Working with Calix, we were able to get our network up and running quickly. We started building out fiber in January 2021, turned up service in May, and we’ve been adding new subscribers ever since.
 

Building a Strong Foundation With the Calix End-to-End Solution Strategy

Our success strategy goes far beyond thinking about delivering fast speeds. One of the best decisions we made when building out our network was to go all-in with Calix. With the Calix end-to-end solution, we can give subscribers the popular services they want so we can build our brand—all while generating revenue. This is how we’ll compete and win against the consumer retail giants. With Calix, we will:
 

• Optimize efficiency while delivering the fastest speeds now and in the future. With the Intelligent Access EDGE and AXOS E7-2 Intelligent Modular Systems, we have a scalable access network architecture that flexibly accommodates new technologies—future-proofing our network and positioning us to deliver 10 Gbps services (and beyond).
  
  
• Deliver popular managed Wi-Fi services that excite subscribers and drive revenue. The Revenue EDGE solution featuring GigaSpire BLAST systems, the CommandIQ® mobile app, and EDGE Suites (like ProtectIQ® and ExperienceIQ™) ensures our subscribers enjoy the ultimate Wi-Fi experience no matter what plan they are on.
  
  
•  Leverage data insights to optimize performance across critical business functions. Calix Cloud gives us immediate access to the intelligence, automation, and insights we need to manage our network, support our subscribers efficiently, and optimize their experience. Support Cloud, Marketing Cloud, and Operations Cloud are absolutely critical to us—and a huge differentiator for Calix.

Investing in the Right Solutions To Keep From Becoming a Dumb Pipe

Calix is much more than a vendor—they are a true partner, fully committed to our success. Working with them, we’ll never be seen by subscribers or competitors as just a dumb pipe. From Calix Success Services to EDGE Enablement, they equip us with the solutions, tools, and resources we need to deliver the world-class broadband experience and hometown support our subscribers rely on.

Learn how you can benefit from the Calix End-to-End Solution Strategy.

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Senior Director Product Marketing, Calix

linkedin.com/in/owensgreg/

Your highest value subscribers will soon be demanding support for their latest Wi-Fi 6E-enabled devices, such as smartphones, laptops, 8K televisions, and more. As the first carrier-class Wi-Fi 6E system in the world, the GigaSpire BLAST u6me gives you an easy way to fill that market need. And because it’s part of the GigaSpire BLAST family, the BLAST u6me snaps right into your Revenue EDGE platform. This means it’s fast and simple to deploy and manage, with no “rip and replace” required.
 

Monetize Subscriber Services and Grow Your Business
This unmatched power, combined with ease of installation and operation, means that even the smallest broadband service providers can immediately offer more dedicated bandwidth for more devices. Here’s how you’ll benefit:
 

• Monetize subscriber services. When your subscribers enjoy new high-bandwidth applications, that drives higher bandwidth consumption, setting up a greater need for premium high-speed internet and managed Wi-Fi packages. In addition, when you provide the latest Wi-Fi technology to your subscribers, you’re recovering the money they would otherwise spend on expensive (and hard-to-support) consumer solutions. Not only will you be on the cutting edge of subscriber-driven innovation, but you’ll also be able to leverage the BLAST u6me to deliver revenue-generating services in Revenue EDGE Suites.
  
  
• Grow subscriber loyalty. Your subscribers look to you to help them navigate the latest technologies to enable the services and innovations they demand. When you can operate with the agility of the best consumer brands and deploy the breakthrough technology they need in days or weeks rather than months or years, you’re keeping your high-value subscribers out of big box stores and growing brand loyalty.
  
  
• Simplify your operations. Because it’s a part of the GigaSpire BLAST family, simple and seamless installation and management are in the box. BSPs of any size can seamlessly add Wi-Fi 6E capabilities without replacing any existing GigaSpire BLAST systems. And when combined with Calix Support Cloud and the CommandIQ mobile app, which includes a mesh satellite placement guide, the BLAST u6me can be installed directly by a subscriber—no field tech required.
   

“We want to offer the best possible service to our customers and 6E is the key to our future,” says Ken Johnson, CEO of Wahkiakum West in Washington. “With more available channels, less contention, and the ability to serve even the latest consumer and business devices, anything else is half measures.”

To learn more, download the white paper, “Expanding Wi-Fi into the 6GHz Spectrum,” and visit our GigaSpire BLAST® u6 page.

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Regional Vice President Customer Success Services, Calix

linkedin.com/in/clwilson5

When troubleshooting issues, customer support representatives (CSRs) often need to switch between multiple tools and applications. Having to “swivel-chair” between different systems can cause delays in responding to subscribers. This can contribute to higher support costs and negatively impact subscriber satisfaction.

Wouldn’t it be great to have all the information you need to troubleshoot subscriber issues, all on one screen? Now you can, thanks to the integration of Calix Support Cloud with the iVUE trouble management system from National Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC). This is the first of many planned Support Cloud integrations that will transform how broadband service providers (BSPs) support their subscribers. With the Support Cloud/NISC integration, CSRs can streamline processes, save time, reduce costs, and increase subscriber satisfaction.
 

Faster Access to Subscriber Information Cuts Support Call Times by 60 Seconds or More

The integration gives CSRs a consolidated view of the subscriber. They can easily see helpdesk tickets, troubleshoot issues, and resolve or escalate (if necessary).

Jennifer Astle, technical support supervisor at Silver Star Communications, described the impact of the integration on their business: “This will let our CSRs open fewer windows to get the information they need to address the subscriber’s problem. Fewer clicks translate into faster troubleshooting, diagnosis, and resolution. We estimate that we’ll be able to reduce average call handling times by at least one minute, or 13 percent—that’s huge.”
 

New Integration Automates Manual Processes To Drive Efficiency

The Support Cloud/NISC integration will also increase automation to further reduce costs, while enabling BSPs to become more proactive to deliver the ultimate subscriber experience.
 

• Automate manual processes to drive operational savings. Data such as subscriber profile, details on the reported issue, and call disposition flows seamlessly across both systems, so CSRs aren’t entering information over and over. The integration streamlines these processes—saving valuable time and OPEX.
  
  
• Focus on proactive support to improve the subscriber experience. By resolving issues much more quickly, support teams can spend more time on proactive troubleshooting. They can identify subscribers that repeatedly hit service limits or could benefit from EDGE Suites, such as ProtectIQ for network security or ExperienceIQ for enhanced parental controls. They can then offer upgrades that increase average revenue per user (ARPU) and improve the subscriber experience.
   

See why Silver Star Communications is excited about the Support Cloud/NISC Integration by reading Jennifer Astle’s blog, “Why We’re Thrilled With Our 74% First-Call Resolution Rate and Excited To See Calix Partner With NISC.” Check out the resources on our Calix Support Cloud page to learn more.

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Senior Director Services Marketing, Calix

linkedin.com/in/thomasschroer/

Compliance gaps can impact your ongoing high-cost support payments. That’s why it’s critical to continuously test your broadband subscribers for FCC compliance. The more proactive you are, the better your chances of staying ahead of those costly gaps.

CentraCom, a provider of enterprise-grade networking, communications, and connectivity services based in Fairview, Utah, realized the importance of proactive performance testing, and to get there they selected the Calix Broadband Performance Testing solution. That solution includes Calix Support Cloud as the test controller, the GigaSpire BLAST integrated test endpoint feature, and Calix Professional Services. The partnership with Calix Professional Services allowed CentraCom to get ahead of the challenges they were facing, including endpoint failures found in pre-testing and issues while preparing to move from pre-testing to the formal reporting of their test results.
 

Eliminate Truck Rolls and Spot Failures Before They Happen

In fact, CentraCom fixed many of the problems they uncovered with the testing without a truck roll. That was made possible by the detailed reporting and guidance of Calix Services, and the analysis enabled by Calix Support Cloud using the overall health data shared by the GigaSpire BLAST systems.

“We’re part of a family of broadband service providers that make up Lynch Interactive Corporation,” said Shayne Thompson, central office manager with CentraCom. “The ones that went with the Calix solution had a great experience just like us.” According to Thompson, “The Broadband Performance Testing Service component of the Calix solution allowed us to get proactive and take care of compounding effects of test failures before they’d cause us to fall short.”

The approach has paid off. Working as a team, Calix Professional Services and CentraCom reduced the test endpoints with failures by 62 percent, which would have adversely impacted CentraCom’s FCC compliance level.

See how to stay ahead of compliance requirements for FCC broadband testing in this recorded webinar, “Don’t Let Unexpected Challenges for FCC Performance Testing Slow You Down,” and visit our FCC Performance Testing page to learn more about the Calix Broadband Performance Testing solution.

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Director Access Network Product Marketing, Calix 

linkedin.com/in/andreviera

Now there is even more innovation in the world’s first consolidated subscriber management solution, the Intelligent Access EDGE Subscriber Management Module (SMm). The latest enhancements to the Network Innovation Platform (AXOS) simplify network and service deployment and network operations workflows. Key benefits to broadband service providers include dramatically reducing the number of systems required to deliver subscriber services, having a common place to manage the subscriber-facing network, and ensuring that subscriber management is easier and faster from the start.
 

Consolidation Means Simplified Provisioning, Monitoring, and Maintenance

We have consolidated and moved service-enabling functions closer to the subscriber-facing network, which eliminates the cost of multiple systems and makes it easier for BSPs to manage services from one common place. In addition, you can collect and correlate network data with subscriber services and develop insights and predictions to further optimize network performance and simplify the network and operations.
 

• We have facilitated the ability to use RADIUS Authentication and Change of Authority within the SMm—automating subscriber service turn-ups and profile changes. These capabilities simplify operations and excite subscribers with seamless and fast service delivery.
  
  
• BSPs can now enjoy true zero-touch optical network terminal (ONT) provisioning and configuration with communication enabled from the subscriber-facing network to the Calix Support Cloud. Operations are simplified even more, and subscribers continue to be delighted with the rapid pace of service.
  
  
• IPv4 is still used to route most of today’s internet traffic, and IPv4 addresses are in short supply and high demand. Our new multi-netting capability in the SMm reduces the need for large IPv4 subnets in the access network and optimizes the available IPv4 address pools—reducing the need to reorganize IP addressing and purchase additional IPv4 address space.
   

Learn more about our Network Innovation Platform and our enhanced Subscriber Management Module by visiting our AXOS Software Modules page.

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