US based Butler Electric Cooperative is rolling out its Velocity broadband initiative on its newly built, AXOS-based network with the assistance of Calix Deployment Enablement Services and AXOS Enablement Services.
Announced in March, Deployment Enablement Services accelerate communications service provider (CSPs) implementations with best practices, advanced information sharing tools, and comprehensive training.
The field-proven services enable installation and construction vendors and field personnel involved in network buildouts to standardize their processes, accelerating the CSP’s time to market. This standardization is paramount to maintaining the consistency and quality of each network site. Butler is leveraging all three components of the services: Project Playbooks, the Calix MobilePRO app, and Quality Assessment Services.
Deployment Enablement Services help CSPs streamline and accelerate the design and implementation of network transformation projects. This guidance is especially important for electric cooperatives rolling out broadband networks for the first time. The Calix Professional Services team has provided training to Butler’s contractor field teams on the Project Playbooks and the Calix MobilePRO app.
Playbooks are designed to ensure the correct installation of the cabinets to support Butler’s AXOS E7-2 Intelligent Modular System field nodes. The Quality Assessment Service is powered by automated reporting from the app. The service provides immediate identification of quality issues without the need for an onsite quality engineer and can help reduce follow up site visits by up to 70 percent.
The AXOS E7-2 system seamlessly combines with multiple legacy platforms to support fixed wireless broadband and will support Butler’s future Fiber-to-the-Home network. AXOS Enablement Services provide network design, turn up, and testing utilizing the latest in Calix implementation best practices.
“We are trying to provide our members a high-quality service along with customer support at a level they have not experienced before,” said Ben Whiteside, VP of administration and finance for Velocity and Butler Electric Cooperative. “Since building a broadband network is different from any type of project we have done in the past, a trusted partner like Calix is vital to our Velocity broadband initiative. We are managing multiple construction and installation vendors, so a common set of deployment practices ensures the teams are operating cohesively. This level of consistency is important not only to make future expansions easier but also to make the network more scalable and enable field techs to operate more efficiently once the work has been completed.”
An active member of the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative (NRTC), Butler currently serves 7,500 residential and commercial members in south-central Kansas. Butler is another example of an electric cooperative stepping up to deliver a critical service to its members and their community, assuring them they will not be left behind by the digital divide that has become common in rural America. Velocity high speed Internet plans will range from 25- to 100-Mbps. Velocity will be available to both cooperative members and underserved residents in surrounding communities within Butler’s coverage territory.
“Calix Professional Services draws on experience accumulated from thousands of successful inside and outside plant deployment projects,” said Greg Billings, SVP, Services for Calix. “Deployment Enablement Services are especially beneficial to fiber innovators such as electric cooperatives and municipalities who need to turn subscriber services up rapidly but also lay the foundation for future network and business expansion. We’re thrilled to partner with Butler to accelerate their network deployment and deliver broadband services to their members.”
