Extend Wi-Fi Beyond the Four Walls of the Home With the Lowest Possible OPEX

As a successful broadband service provider (BSP) you have likely built your market reputation on providing a fast, secure, and supportive experience within subscribers’ homes and businesses. But are you extending that experience to the wider communities you serve? If not, you could be missing golden opportunities to grow your reputation, drive “stickiness,” and differentiate yourself from your competition. 

There are many flavors of “public Wi-Fi” present today: pay-as-you-go services, hotspots subsidized by municipalities, and “free” Wi-Fi provided in public spaces, just to name a few. If you’ve ever tried to connect to such a service, you’ll know the experience usually isn’t great. 

That’s why Calix has reimagined the community Wi-Fi experience with SmartTown™. It works by extending the existing home Wi-Fi experience beyond the four walls of the home and connecting subscribers to secure Wi-Fi experiences across town, parks, outdoor events, and on the go. SmartTown leverages your existing network investments in Calix Wi-Fi systems, including the GigaSpire®  family and the recently announced GigaPro™ p6he designed for outdoor use.

SmartTown is deployed, managed, and supported by the same Calix platforms you use for residential and business, reducing operational complexity. That means that, unlike those frustrating “public Wi-Fi” experiences you may have tried before, the management of SmartTown replicates the trusted home Wi-Fi experience, making onboarding and troubleshooting a breeze—and security assured. 

Here are five ways SmartTown will deliver value to your community: 

Allow subscribers to take their home Wi-Fi with them as they move through their communities—building subscriber loyalty. 
Extend secure Wi-Fi to outdoor community events—building brand visibility.
Provide critical connectivity for first responders and smart infrastructure.
Bring secure internet to schools and remotely connect students and teachers.
Deliver digital infrastructure that increases economic vitality and attracts new residents and businesses to your town.

Service providers such as Mississippi’s Tombigbee Fiber—a subsidiary of the Tombigbee Electric Cooperative—are already looking at opportunities to deploy SmartTown to their communities. 

“We think SmartTown is an amazing concept that will enable us to bring a world-class offering to small towns across Mississippi, powering everything from smart water meters to connectivity at civic events,” says Scott Hendrix, CEO of Tombigbee. “In Tupelo, we already have Calix GigaSpire systems deployed all over town—so why add in another technology? By using our existing Calix platforms and cloud products, we can roll out SmartTown quickly and cost-effectively.” 

So, get ready to become a giant in your community—and make your town a SmartTown.

Learn more about Calix SmartTown or request an executive briefing to get started.

By Candice Mayberry Storsveen

Director, Residential and Community Wi-Fi Solutions Marketing, Calix

Candice Mayberry Storsveen is a visionary leader dedicated to closing the digital divide and providing exceptional connectivity to communities of all sizes. With nearly two decades of experience in the telecommunications sector, she serves as the Director of Solutions Marketing for Residential and Community Wi-Fi at Calix. Her extensive background in product marketing, strategic planning, data analytics, and business development has been instrumental in driving the adoption of cutting-edge broadband solutions. Candice's passion and expertise are key to her success in fostering connected environments that empower both individuals and communities.