IMU Fiber Taps Calix to Enable 'Work From Home'

Indianola Municipal Utilities is deploying fiber to the home with the Calix Intelligent Access EDGE, encouraging Des Moines-based professionals to call Indianola home.

Calix, Inc. has announced that Indianola Municipal Utilities (IMU) is deploying a next-generation fiber broadband network to deliver vital communications services to telecommuters in central Iowa.

To address the limited residential broadband options, the local utility established IMU Fiber to build and maintain a city-wide fiber to the home (FTTH) network. The response has been remarkable, as IMU Fiber is close to 75 percent of the way to its 2023 subscriber goal as of the end of March 2020.

With increasing numbers of subscribers working from home, broadband services are proving so vitally important to new telecommuters that daytime usage has more than doubled, climbing to 65 percent of network capacity. Fortunately, its AXOS® enabled FTTH network is more than capable of handling the spike in demand. In response to the challenging economic environment, IMU Fiber has also suspended any service disconnects due to missed payments for 60 days.

“Our residents view high-speed broadband access as an expected utility, like water or electricity—something that must be available and reliable at all times,” said Kurt Ripperger, communications superintendent for Indianola Municipal Utilities. “As the municipal utility for the city of Indianola, it is our mission to deliver the best services possible to ensure our residents and our community are well served. With the growing number of business professionals calling Indianola home and the recent need to work remotely, meeting those needs means ensuring we deliver amazing and reliable broadband connectivity.”

The local utility has been turning up subscribers rapidly and cost effectively with the AXOSIntelligent Access EDGE solution. IMU Fiber is leveraging the E7-2 Intelligent Modular System and Services Management Connector (SMx) to dramatically simplify their network operations. With AXOS and its ability to support an everyPON strategy, IMU Fiber has a clear upgrade path to 10G PON as network demand continues to grow.

“By connecting Indianola residents using AXOS, IMU Fiber is significantly increasing the quality of life for its subscribers, especially those working from home, while simplifying its operations,” said Mark Dressler, senior VP of global sales for Calix. “IMU Fiber is a great example of a municipal utility listening to its residents and taking it upon itself to ensure the vitality of the community it serves. We look forward to growing our partnership with IMU Fiber as it continues to innovate and improve the broadband experience for Indianola residents.”