Calix, Inc. has officially published a lowdown on how its customers are leveraging Calix SmartTown to reconnect communities that were affected by Hurricane Helene.
According to certain reports, the platform in question has made it possible for broadband service providers (BSPs) like French Broad Electric Membership Corporation (French Broad EMC), Riverwave Broadband, and Clearwave Fiber to deploy temporary hotspots and community Wi-Fi within days, enabling residents to reconnect with loved ones and access recovery services.
More on the same would reveal that, when a BSP combines cloud-enabled Calix Platform with hands-on Calix Success support, they can effectively streamline their ability to deliver secure, reliable broadband access to their communities. Furthermore, thanks to solutions like Calix GigaSpires® and GigaPros® that come from the one-of-its-kind Calix Unlimited Subscriber portfolio of indoor and outdoor Wi-Fi systems, a BSP can also quickly provide seamless, long-range connectivity across homes, businesses, and communities.
Integrated with the Calix Platform, these Wi-Fi systems basically support rapid deployment, efficient network management, and scalability through Calix Cloud®. In case that wasn’t enough, there is also a geo-mapping facility in Calix Operations Cloud which, on its part, enhances network visibility, simplifies community Wi-Fi planning, and accelerates SmartTown deployments to connect entire towns.
“Hurricane Helene devastated our region, wiping out bridges and roads, which made restoring power and internet extremely challenging,” said Jeff Loven, general manager and chief executive officer at French Broad EMC. “Without the internet, our community was left unable to do basic things, like accessing emergency information. Prior to the hurricane, we recognized that SmartTown could greatly impact our community, and we were planning our deployment. In the wake of Helene, we realized the immediate need for SmartTown. As power was gradually restored to our members, the Calix Success team stepped in to provide the extra support we needed.”
Taking a deeper view of ways in which BSPs were able to bank upon Calix to fight the connectivity issues that sprung up during Hurricane Helene, we begin from how French Broad EMC quickly restored power ACROSS western North Carolina and reconnected communities with Calix SmartTown. You see, as soon as the hurricane was confirmed, French Board started the proceedings to restore connectivity.
Furthermore, it collaborated with Calix Success to fast-track its plans of deploying SmartTown community Wi-Fi. As power became available, French Broad EMC even activated residential GigaSpires to solidify the strength of SmartTown and bring secure, seamless connectivity across homes and public spaces when it mattered the most.
Next up, we must dig into Riverwave Broadband quickly establishing an emergency Wi-Fi network for affected North Carolinians. Here, the company leveraged Calix Platform and GigaSpires to provide open access points to ensure communities stayed connected during Hurricane Helene. The company also personally guided residents to the strongest signal locations and shared access details, thus ensuring they could stay connected to loved ones and vital resources in their time of need.
Another detail worth a mention here is rooted in Clearwave’s deployment of eight hotspots, powered by Calix Wi-Fi systems, to enable Georgians to access recovery services. The company, in essence, called upon Calix innovation to set up temporary hotspots. These GigaPro and GigaSpire-powered hotspots were designed to relay coverage reaching up to one mile per site, and therefore, extend the number of residents who could depend on a secure, reliable connection. To go along with that, Clearwave provided device charging stations and bottled water at each location.
“In times of crisis, it is the local broadband provider who works tirelessly to keep their communities connected—not the massive carriers or satellite providers that focus solely on delivering a basic connection and collecting data,” said Matt Collins, chief commercial operations officer at Calix. “The Calix Broadband Platform empowers these trusted local providers with efficient, secure, data-driven broadband solutions like SmartTown community Wi-Fi that deliver the next-generation connectivity people expect today. Whether connecting families, first responders, or essential personnel, our customers have leveraged SmartTown to transform how their communities stay connected.”
