Calix, Inc. announces additional enablement and enhancements for SmartTown (community Wi-Fi) and SmartBiz (small business productivity). SmartTown and SmartBiz are part of an expanding ecosystem of Calix SmartLife managed services that enable broadband service providers (BSPs) to grow their markets with differentiated subscriber experiences. New features for these managed services include increased security capabilities, deeper insights, and expanded coverage areas, all of which continue to simplify market expansion for Calix customers. Additionally, in a further demonstration of its commitment to customer success, Calix now offers comprehensive enablement for SmartTown from the award-winning Calix Customer Success Services team. Customers like Tombigbee Fiber, LLC (Tombigbee) are accelerating SmartTown deployment by leveraging a dedicated customer success specialist within the Calix Smart Start for Managed Services program. New courses in Calix University will also support BSPs as they connect entire towns with SmartTown.
By investing in managed services, innovative BSPs like Tombigbee are beating out some of the biggest legacy players in the market while vitalizing their communities. Tombigbee frames their go-to-market strategy around the value of the managed services they deliver—not the speeds they offer. This demonstrates their market leadership in providing Mississippi communities with unprecedented access to world-class subscriber experiences. By doing so, they have earned a stunning Net Promoter Score℠ (NPS®) of 91. To date, Tombigbee has:
- Ensured secure Wi-Fi experiences for all at no extra cost. Last year, Tombigbee launched Calix managed services ProtectIQ® (home network security) and ExperienceIQ® (advanced network controls) at no extra cost to protect members’ and subscribers’ home networks.
- Kept kids and families safe from cyberbullying by launching Bark. Tombigbee launched Bark, the social-media monitoring service on the Calix platform, so families can better protect teens and tweens from the dangers associated with cyberbullying.
- Jumpstarted their SmartTown deployment to transform Mississippi communities into fully smart towns. Tombigbee currently employs Calix Professional Services to advance their technical readiness while gearing up to launch SmartTown. This enablement includes onsite immersive training sessions, field survey-based Wi-Fi design, and SmartTown managed service validation to ensure brand integrity.
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Calix-partnered BSPs deploying SmartTown benefit from ProtectIQ and ExperienceIQ integrations to protect Wi-Fi traffic from an active landscape of cyber threats. Plus, BSPs can easily apply advanced network controls for exhaustive content filtering to protect community browsing experiences. With new mesh satellite support for SmartTown and SmartBiz, BSPs can deliver a superior subscriber experience across larger businesses and community spaces. Additionally, customer support teams using Calix Support Cloud can access deeper insights on community Wi-Fi experiences in and around town to solve subscriber issues faster.
“We are focused on carrying our Mississippi communities into the future by delivering the type of exceptional Wi-Fi experiences once only available in cities,” said Scott Hendrix, chief executive officer of Tombigbee Fiber and Tombigbee Electric Power Association (TEPA). “This would be impossible without the incredible operational efficiencies we have achieved with the Calix platform, paired with the innovative and expansive list of managed services we can launch to our members and subscribers. Calix enables us to curate unique Wi-Fi experiences that we know our communities need because we live there too. And from day one, Calix has been there to help us along the way. From the design and planning of our broadband network to preparation for our first SmartTown event, their team has provided invaluable guidance and support to ensure our success.”
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The repeatable, scalable, and extensible nature of the Calix platform significantly reduces the investment a BSP must make to integrate managed services like SmartTown and SmartBiz. The platform also provides BSPs with a holistic, end-to-end view of the subscriber experience—across marketing, customer support, and broadband operations. This view allows BSPs to dramatically lower operating expenses (OPEX) while ensuring an exceptional subscriber experience. As a result, BSPs can continuously invest in innovation that grows value.
“Tombigbee Fiber is running rings around legacy competitors by focusing on a great customer experience, resulting in an NPS enviable in any industry,” said Michael Weening, president and chief executive officer at Calix. “We are very proud that the Calix platform, including Calix Cloud, and our customer success army have been key enablers of their success. Building on this strong foundation, they can now easily expand their value to the community and strengthen their brand by turning on SmartTown with virtually no integration because Calix has done the heavy lifting within the platform. We are very excited to support Tombigbee’s success as they transform their community.”
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