Case Study: Empowering Rural Alberta with an Open Access FTTH Network

Clearwater County in west-central Alberta is building a county-owned Open Access network to close the digital divide and enable competition across multiple last-mile technologies. Arcadis (Woven) was selected to design and project-manage the FTTH rollout after helping secure substantial provincial and federal grants. The County is in the process of selecting an operator that will  operate the 24/7 NOC. At the core, COS Business Engine automates the wholesale platform, driving communications to stakeholders, promoting engagement to the community, aggregating demand, powers ISP integration, the customer portal, and real-time operational workflows.

Challenge & Goals
Rural households and businesses faced unreliable, low-speed internet, constraining growth, telehealth, education, and emergency services. The Council adopted a multi-year Open Access program to deliver county-wide high-speed connectivity, enable multi-ISP competition on shared infrastructure, provide 24/7 operations without scaling local staff, and ensure financial viability through grants and a phased build.

Solution (Core Team)

• Arcadis (Woven): Broadband strategy, funding, design, and PM; specified an in-home Wi-Fi solution that supports multiple ISPs.
• COS Systems: COS Business Engine for wholesale automation, multi-ISP integration, settlements, and a branded customer portal marketplace.
• Calix: Cloud platform + Subscriber API integrated with COS Business Engine for seamless in-home Wi-Fi management across providers, preserving a consistent subscriber app even when switching ISPs.
• Network Operator managing the 24×7 NOC.
• Clearwater County: Project owner and capital investor.

Partnership Innovation: COS + Arcadis + Calix
A first-of-its-kind Open Access setup uses a single Calix Cloud instance segmented by provider within COS Business Engine. Each ISP can monitor/support its subscribers’ Wi-Fi, with access transferring automatically at the moment of a provider switch. COS BE acts as a secure intermediary—ISPs use the COS interface for tasks like SSID updates and RG reboots—delivering zero-touch switching, a unified subscriber app, automated provisioning, and strict data separation.

“This integration between COS Business Engine and Calix Cloud is a game-changer… Our residents get a consistent, high-quality in-home experience no matter which provider they choose.” — Cam McDonald, IT Manager, Clearwater County

Project Ecosystem
Clearwater County – Owner; long-term stewardship and capital commitment
Arcadis (Woven) – Design & PM; grant strategy and solution specification
COS Systems – Open Access automation via COS Business Engine
Calix – Cloud-managed in-home Wi-Fi integrated through COS BE

Results & Momentum

• Grants Secured: ~CAD $62M (Universal Broadband Fund + Alberta Broadband Strategy)
• County Capital: CAD $43.7M approved Jan 2025 to accelerate deployment
• Open Access Marketplace: Live customer portal for residents to register and choose ISPs
• Staged Buildout: Backbone and last-mile FTTH underway; phased connections through 2025
• Innovation Deployed: Multi-ISP, zero-touch in-home Wi-Fi via COS + Calix, specified with Arcadis

Why It Works

• Public ownership protects coverage and long-term value 
• Public ownership protects coverage and long-term value 
• Arcadis ensures funding success and technical excellence
• COS Systems delivers scalable Open Access automation and a seamless customer portal 
• Calix provides consistent in-home Wi-Fi across providers 
• Residents gain competition, choice, and affordable gigabit.

At a Glance
Industry: Municipal Broadband / Infrastructure
Location: Clearwater County, Alberta, Canada
Network: County-owned Open Access FTTH
Tech Stack: COS Business Engine; Arcadis PM/design; Calix Cloud (Subscriber API); RSG NOC
Funding: ~CAD $62M grants + CAD $43.7M County capital
Operations: Fully managed NOC by RSG Telecom; automated wholesale + customer portal by COS BE

More Resources on the Topic

• Open Access With COS Business Engine
• Whitepaper: Dare to Share Your Infrastructure
• Visit our website dedicated to Municipal Broadband