Cruzio Powers Heart of Santa Cruz County with Network Built on Calix AXOS

AXOS delivers massive cost and time to revenue advantages for the innovative service provider as it expands its broadband network to new residents and businesses along the California coast

Santa Cruz’s Cruzio has deployed the Calix AXOS platform to dramatically simplify its operations as it expands its fiber network to serve new residential and business subscribers in California.

With an eye on future-proofing its network to deliver an always-on experience to a subscriber base of high-tech professionals, Cruzio is embracing the AXOS E7-2 Intelligent Modular System. Cruzio is extending that exceptional experience into their subscribers’ premises by replacing legacy gateways throughout its entire footprint with Calix GigaCenters.

One of the largest independent internet service providers in California, Cruzio serves an idyllic and eclectic community, with many highly technical residents who work for companies in Santa Cruz and nearby Silicon Valley. In order to effectively serve this demanding subscriber base, which includes employees of major tech companies like Lockheed Martin and HP, Cruzio must stay on the leading edge of innovation while simplifying network operations to remain competitive. While Cruzio is expanding its network, it is staying true to its mission to serve smaller communities like the El Rio Mobile Home Park.

“After a fiber cut left our city in the dark nearly a decade ago, we knew that a locally owned broadband provider was of paramount importance, and our mission to serve our neighbors accelerated,” said Peggy Dolgenos, CEO and Co-founder of Cruzio. “Over time, we have continued to grow, serving residential and business subscribers with our fiber network, which sees new sign-ups every day. But we must stay nimble, and our partnership with Calix allows us to focus on our subscribers while finding new ways to drive down costs and improve our efficiencies.”

With a small operations team, Cruzio has found new efficiencies with AXOS, enabling easy integration and automation with its legacy OSS/BSS systems, while laying the foundation for future end-to-end SDN implementations. In addition, the AXOS Diagnostics Toolbox has allowed Cruzio to reduce the number of truck rolls needed to address subscriber issues and improve subscriber satisfaction levels with faster resolution times. As one happy subscriber posted recently, "Your hard work has made this customer a very happy and sticky customer." - Kathy D.

“As a leader in its community for 30 years, Cruzio is a great example of a locally-based service provider who puts the needs of its subscribers at the forefront of its business,” said Skip Hirvela, Calix vice president of sales. “This mindset, coupled with the need to be agile and stay ahead of the competition, makes for an ideal partnership with Calix. The AXOS platform allows the Cruzio team to simplify the operation of its network, while giving them the flexibility to quickly add new services as their subscriber base continues to grow.”