Calix’s SmartTown Alliance helps internet providers share networks and connect traveling customers.

Today at Calix ConneXions, Calix, Inc. announced SmartTown® Alliance. With charter members in Mississippi and Kansas, the Alliance will allow subscribers to securely connect to participating broadband service provider (BSP) networks. Powered by Calix SmartTown on the Calix Broadband Platform, the Alliance will expand to unite BSPs of all sizes to deliver secure and content-safe online experiences as subscribers visit other counties, regions, states, and beyond. When subscribers enter a participating BSP’s coverage area, they will automatically and securely connect to a SmartTown Wi-Fi network as if they are home.

Calix customers across 13 U.S. states have successfully deployed SmartTown community-wide Wi-Fi. Momentum continues to increase, with customer growth nearly quadrupling over the past year. These deployments have established independent regions where Calix GigaSpire® and GigaPro® systems power public Wi-Fi hotspots, connecting parks, town squares, high school football fields, and events like rodeos and state fairs. With SmartTown Alliance, subscribers will benefit from safe and secure community-wide Wi-Fi not just from their own BSP but from all Alliance members, starting with Tombigbee Fiber in Mississippi and SCTelcom in Kansas.

“We’ve leveraged Calix innovation to transform broadband in northern Mississippi since our founding in 2019,” said Scott Hendrix, chief executive officer at Tombigbee Fiber and Tombigbee Electric Power Association. “In the past year, we launched SmartTown across our entire footprint, provided broad-ranging access to our customers, free access to first responders, and earned a 92 Net Promoter Score℠ (NPS®). With SmartTown Alliance, we can take the next step to extend our customers’ experiences far outside our footprint. Calix has been with us every step, ensuring successful deployment. We’re excited to grow SmartTown Alliance in Mississippi and beyond.”

SmartTown Alliance helps BSPs stand out by enhancing their residential broadband offerings through the ability to:

• Provide a secure experience via an extensive, authenticated Wi-Fi network. Unlike open public Wi-Fi, SmartTown Alliance enables BSPs to offer secure connectivity without requiring repeated authentication. SmartTown uses Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Passpoint®, an industry standard that streamlines secure access to hotspots, eliminating splash pages or sign-in screens. Once connected, subscribers can roam seamlessly across Alliance member networks without interruption.
• Extend their value and reach to match their subscribers’ lifestyles. Joining the Alliance allows BSPs to differentiate their services with consistent, secure Wi-Fi experiences. This Alliance will expand BSPs’ reach and further enable them to meet evolving subscriber needs, strengthening brand loyalty. The SmartTown Alliance will be available to subscribers of Alliance members using Calix SmartHome™ managed services, extending the home broadband experience to the towns, regions, and states they visit.
• Run incredibly efficient operations while deploying expanded Wi-Fi experiences. Since SmartTown leverages the Calix Platform, BSPs can deploy it with minimal additional training, using the same workflows and processes already in place for residential and business services. With all Alliance members on the same platform, authentication is streamlined, ensuring uniform quality, security, and simplified troubleshooting—key benefits of the Calix Platform.

Calix customers deploying SmartTown have access to Calix Success. The Success team offers help with everything from network design and optimization (Success Delivery) to tailored guidance that reduces time-to-revenue for new service launches (Success Guidance). Customers also benefit from 24/7 support for network and service availability (Success Support) and access to top-tier training and certification (Success Education).

“We transformed daily life in Kansas by deploying SmartTown, boosting outdoor connectivity by 75 percent in Attica alone,” said Carla Shearer, chief executive officer and general manager at SCTelcom. “With SmartTown, we also provide secure connectivity for educators during school evacuations in areas with limited cell coverage. Adding community-wide Wi-Fi to our residential services increased ARPU by 3 percent. SmartTown Alliance will expand this value, offering seamless, secure Wi-Fi for subscribers beyond our footprint. Calix has been crucial in driving this growth and helping us stand out in a competitive market.”

“SmartTown Alliance will allow our customers to deliver a consistent broadband experience for subscribers as they visit family, travel for work, and more,” said Matt Collins, chief commercial operations officer at Calix. “Since its launch, SmartTown has enabled broadband service providers to deliver exceptional value, powering Wi-Fi that reaches across entire communities. Our customers connect public spaces, ensure students can access reliable connectivity beyond school grounds, and power Wi-Fi at local events like football games and rodeos. SmartTown also enables dedicated, secure networks for groups like first responders and municipal employees. The Alliance will extend this value beyond a single provider’s network, even allowing individuals displaced by natural disasters to connect in other communities if they lose service at home. Thank you to charter members Tombigbee Fiber and SCTelcom for blazing a new path to create even more value for their subscribers and communities.”

SmartTown and SmartHome are part of the Calix SmartLife™ portfolio of purpose-built managed services, enabling BSPs to quickly and seamlessly deliver tailored Wi-Fi services for different subscriber segments using the same cloud-enabled broadband platform. The portfolio also includes SmartBiz™ (small business), and SmartMDU™ (multi-dwelling units).

Calix ConneXions attendees can stop by the SmartTown booth at the Wynn in Las Vegas, October 14 and 15.

Discover SmartTown on the Calix Broadband Platform. Business Wire