Calix Updates its Broadband Platform, SmartLife Offering

Calix, Inc. has unveiled additional outdoor Wi-Fi capabilities for its broadband platform and SmartLife™ managed services, enabling customers to tap into a $7 billion outdoor Wi-Fi market projected to grow 60 percent in the next five years.

The new long-range Calix GigaPro® p6dx extends outdoor coverage up to one mile (1,600 meters). Meanwhile, a 6 GHz upgrade for the Calix GigaPro p6he significantly enhances performance with triple the capacity to support livestreaming, social media video uploads, and other high-bandwidth activities at large outdoor events.

Both systems exist on the Calix Broadband Platform, enabling broadband service providers (BSPs) to easily deliver differentiating managed services to large outdoor areas like campgrounds, city centers, fairgrounds, farms, marinas, and RV parks. To accelerate time to market and revenue, Calix announced the upcoming Calix GigaPro GPR4001XH optical network terminal (ONT) with integrated Power over Ethernet (PoE) to further streamline outdoor installations.

As BSPs increasingly understand that competing on speed alone is not enough to win markets, they are expanding their offerings with SmartLife managed services from Calix. Many such managed services incorporate exceptional outdoor Wi-Fi experiences. Tombigbee Fiber earned an incredible 92 Net Promoter Score℠ (NPS®) for deploying managed services like Calix SmartTown® community-wide Wi-Fi across football fields, parks, and local neighborhoods in northern Mississippi. They also provide free Wi-Fi for first responders in areas with unreliable cell service, further demonstrating their commitment to community. ALLO Communications, the first BSP to deploy SmartTown, delivers safe, secure, and exceptional outdoor experiences to enhance communities in Nebraska, Colorado, and Arizona. Smithville Communications serves a growing number of business subscribers in Indiana with outdoor Wi-Fi delivered via Calix SmartBiz™, an all-in-one broadband solution purpose-built for small businesses.

The latest innovations for the Calix Platform simplify service expansion with SmartLife by enabling BSPs to:

Differentiate with powerful outdoor Wi-Fi that extends one mile. The GigaPro p6dx delivers long-range Wi-Fi—extending managed services up to one mile across parks, campgrounds, farms, marinas, and beaches. Supported by Calix Cloud® on the Calix Platform, outdoor Wi-Fi opens new revenue opportunities for BSPs and their subscribers. In Michigan, Allband Communications deployed the GigaPro p6dx to provide Wi-Fi in tree-dense campgrounds, achieving a 1,000 percent speed increase and greatly improving campers’ experiences.

Enable streaming and video calling for large outdoor events. Updates for the GigaPro p6he enable 6 GHz functionality for outdoor use, significantly enhancing bandwidth and tripling system capacity without extra charges or fees. The system is compatible with both Wi-Fi 6e and Wi-Fi 7 devices. Calix customers can now support thousands of people streaming or video calling at events like football games, state fairs, and rodeos. Using GPS geolocation, the GigaPro p6he dynamically checks 6 GHz channel availability with the Automatic Frequency Coordination (AFC) system to protect nearby radar and emergency communications.

Dramatically simplify and speed new managed service deployments. All Calix Wi-Fi systems are easy to install and activate. The upcoming GigaPro GPR4001XH temperature-hardened fiber ONT will further simplify indoor and outdoor installation with integrated PoE for SmartTown and SmartBiz deployments. This compact XGS-PON ONT can fit into small enclosures to support outdoor Wi-Fi hotspots, cameras, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. It features four IEEE 802.3bt power-sourcing LAN ports with a 120-watt power budget and is easily managed via the Calix Platform.

Cloud updates to the Calix Platform enable BSPs to instantly access and utilize new Wi-Fi systems. They can also rely on increased subscriber insights from new SmartTown reporting capabilities. Meanwhile, the award-winning Calix Success organization offers comprehensive support to ensure smooth service deployment and management. With these assets from Calix, BSP leaders can more effectively develop and execute strategies to differentiate and grow their businesses.

“Delivering dependable Wi-Fi to the campgrounds in our network was a challenge until we partnered with Calix,” said Ron Siegel, general manager at Allband Communications. “The GigaPro p6dx ensures reliable broadband experiences in even the toughest campground spots. Plus, it is easy to manage thanks to the efficiency of the Calix Platform and exceptional support from Calix Success. The Calix team helped survey and analyze subscriber experience insights to recommend optimal system placements. With their help, we’ve significantly grown our outdoor Wi-Fi offerings and look forward to delivering new experiences that will further delight our subscribers.”

“We continue to see BSPs like Allband Communications, ALLO Communications, Smithville Communications, and Tombigbee Fiber set themselves apart from the competition with incredible outdoor Wi-Fi experiences,” said Matt Collins, chief commercial operations officer at Calix. “Leading BSPs are avoiding commoditization of their services by moving beyond speed to deliver dynamic, differentiated experiences. Calix customers are embracing new managed services to provide experiences that benefit not just their members, subscribers, and investors, but their entire community. Thanks to the power of the Calix Platform, any BSP can add these capabilities to power their managed services, including SmartTown and SmartBiz, in a matter of weeks. With the industry’s most comprehensive Wi-Fi appliance portfolio—now offering a one-mile range and 6 GHz performance outdoors—BSPs have the tools to truly transform their communities and lead their markets.”