Calix Launches SmartTown, Its 8th Managed Service, Enabling New Services on Wi-Fi Roaming To Transform Communities

Launching at Calix ConneXions 2022, SmartTown is the first solution on Calix platforms to enable service providers of any size to connect people with private, secure, and safe Wi-Fi experiences across town, at parks, at outdoor events, and on the go, while cementing partnerships with local governments to support connected communities

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX) today launched SmartTown™ as the eighth managed service for Calix platforms. To date, broadband service providers (BSPs) have had limited choice in solutions when crafting community-wide managed Wi-Fi offerings. Thanks to the power of Calix platforms—which Calix spent more than a decade developing with an investment of over $1 billion—SmartTown is the first managed service to enable BSPs of any size to seamlessly bring critical managed Wi-Fi services to communities at scale. U.S. Census Bureau data from 2020 and 2021 shows a significant migration of over 1 million people from urban centers to less populated parts of the country. This shift from cities to small towns and rural areas, accentuated by the growth of work-from-home trends, underlines rising expectations for the availability of top-tier Wi-Fi experiences. Regardless of geography, BSPs can now connect subscribers while they attend outdoor events, walk their dogs, or spend time with their friends and families at local parks. They can also help their communities seek grants for eduroam® to bring Wi-Fi to low-income students. SmartTown gives BSPs a competitive advantage and opens the door to new revenue streams while building lasting community relationships and reaching new audiences of subscribers.

SmartTown is eighth in the growing portfolio of Calix managed services, and one of four new managed services introduced today at Calix ConneXions 2022. SmartTown utilizes the existing platforms and systems BSPs use for residential service delivery—including Calix Intelligent Access EDGE™, Calix Revenue EDGE™, Calix Revenue EDGE Systems, and Calix Cloud®. These platforms enable BSPs to easily deploy and manage SmartTown with minimal operational expenses (OPEX). Using the recently launched temperature-hardened GigaPro™ p6he outdoor Wi-Fi 6E system, BSPs can easily create strategically placed hotspots to support SmartTown. The GigaPro p6he brings high-performance services outdoors, including blazing-fast Wi-Fi 6E speeds covering twice the area of other products. Revenue EDGE managed services ProtectIQ® and ExperienceIQ® are deployed with SmartTown to ensure a safe, secure subscriber experience. Subscribers are activated once and can seamlessly roam between SmartTown hotspots to simplify onboarding and provide an effortless user experience. Temporary event users can gain access during events and are easily deactivated and reactivated for future events.

Innovative BSPs that launch SmartTown will grow value in their communities by:

• Connecting subscribers on Wi-Fi as they move throughout the community. SmartTown enables BSPs of any size to offer subscribers connectivity while they roam their communities. Subscribers will see value immediately when they grow accustomed to staying connected while visiting the farmer’s market or exercising outside.
• Delivering secure and uninterrupted managed Wi-Fi experiences at outdoor events. Nebraska-based ALLO Communications leveraged SmartTown for four events, including three events at University of Nebraska-Lincoln. They successfully connected hundreds with a dependable Wi-Fi experience outdoors—creating stronger ties with their communities.
• Partnering with organizations and local government to support connected community initiatives. SmartTown gives BSPs new opportunities to bring value to their communities, such as partnering with the local government. Thanks to a secure, authenticated network, BSPs can power smart infrastructure (i.e., parking, lights, and meters), supply first responders with Wi-Fi on the go, and more.
• Helping school districts and communities connect students with eduroam Wi-Fi. SmartTown helps local communities connect students and teachers to online education resources with eduroam, an international Wi-Fi roaming alliance. Service providers can apply for public funding to build their own local eduroam interoperable SmartTown network to ensure all students have safe and reliable internet access.

“Our ubiquitous community fiber products must evolve for the future, including providing fast, powerful and secure managed Wi-Fi experiences throughout communities,” said Brad Moline, president and chief executive officer of ALLO Communications, who will share his experiences as the first BSP to bring SmartTown to their communities on stage at ConneXions. “The SmartTown managed service and outdoor GigaPro access points combine with our hosted Wi-Fi 6 installed base to create our first Wi-Fi communities, with reduced OPEX and increased efficiency. ALLO service can be available throughout our communities for connectivity beyond the home or business, including more outdoor events and work from anywhere. We are working with local schools and nonprofit organizations to utilize Wi-Fi internet access for an optimal learning environment by enabling digital inclusion. Everyone in our communities should have exceptional internet experiences to learn, work, or maximize opportunities. SmartTown enables us to reach more people where they are with exceptional hassle-free connectivity delivered at scale.”

Calix-partnered BSPs launching SmartTown are supported every step of the way with Calix Services. Enablement services for SmartTown are key elements to the overall offering. Premier Customer Success and Smart Start for Managed Services help BSPs rapidly plan and execute their go-to-market rollout, align organizations, and launch and grow SmartTown services to their communities. Calix customers also have access to the Revenue EDGE Enablement Workshop and Calix Education Services training courses. They are designed to help network engineering, operations, field installation, and customer support teams successfully deploy new outdoor EDGE systems.

“The one thing that we hear over and over from our Calix-partnered BSPs is a desire to add value in their communities,” said Michael Weening, president and chief executive officer at Calix. “With SmartTown, we expand broadband to close the gap that underperforming and over-subscribed cellular networks have created, through incredible GigaSpire- and GigaPro-enabled Wi-Fi connections everywhere. The BSP is able to transform their existing infrastructure married with small incremental coverage investments to build a fast, secure, and fully managed ubiquitous Wi-Fi mesh across the town. This means underprivileged children do not have to sit at a fast-food restaurant or food court to do homework. At the same time, the BSP expands partnerships with community leadership to transform festivals, parks, and main streets. They will also transform how organizations such as police, fire, and emergency responders work and connect. This idea was sparked by Brad Moline, president and CEO of ALLO Communications, who envisioned a connected Gigabit society. We will help him and BSPs like ALLO go even further by enabling them to partner and link communities through alliances that will transform the roaming landscape through the power of cloud, software and Calix-led innovation. As a result, the BSP is positioned as a giant in their communities.”

Those attending ConneXions at the Wynn in Las Vegas can stop by the Innovation Showcase and Expo to tour SmartTown Park through October 18.

Learn how BSPs can bring secure Wi-Fi experiences to communities at scale with SmartTown from Calix.

About Calix

Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX)—Calix cloud and software platforms enable service providers of all types and sizes to innovate and transform. Our customers utilize the real-time data and insights from Calix platforms to simplify their businesses and deliver experiences that excite their subscribers. The resulting growth in subscriber acquisition, loyalty, and revenue creates more value for their businesses and communities. This is the Calix mission: To enable broadband service providers of all sizes to simplify, excite, and grow.

This press release contains forward-looking statements that are based upon management’s current expectations and are inherently uncertain. Forward-looking statements are based upon information available to us as of the date of this release, and we assume no obligation to revise or update any such forward-looking statement to reflect any event or circumstance after the date of this release, except as required by law. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from current expectations based on risks and uncertainties affecting Calix’s business. The reader is cautioned not to rely on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Additional information on potential factors that could affect Calix’s results and other risks and uncertainties are detailed in its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC and available at www.sec.gov.