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Updated UI Tools for Faster Daily Operations in Business Engine

screencapture-be-2390-admin-cossystems-se-Dashboard-View

Over the past year, our team has delivered a series of thoughtful UI improvements designed to make your daily work smoother, faster, and more intuitive.

In this update, Spencer walks through several key enhancements. First, the streamlined navigation: daily operational tools are now placed front and center on the left side, while deeper configuration menus move to a separate section, making everything easier to find. Up top, the notification center now includes release notes and improved alerts to keep you informed at a glance.

We’ve also added better visibility into integrations, allowing operators to quickly check system status and run syncs when needed. Search has been upgraded across the platform—from multi-order lookups to clearer default filters—making it quicker to find the exact data you need. The super search now highlights “perfect matches,” meaning one keystroke brings you straight to the right customer, order, or location.

Finally, fly-ins and customer/location cards have been redesigned to show more information on a single screen, reducing unnecessary clicks and helping you access diagnostics, history, and services faster than ever.

These changes may look simple, but together they create a smoother, more powerful user experience—one that helps you stay efficient and focused in your day-to-day operations. We hope you enjoy this sneak peek behind today’s advent calendar door and look forward to hearing your feedback as the UI continues to evolve.

Reach out if you want to learn more or if you want to see it live!
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COS Advent Calendar 2025

Don’t miss this year’s edition of our popular COS Advent Calendar!

Discover the magic of the COS Advent Calendar. Each day reveals a new surprise, making the holiday season even more special, with best practices, new features, case studies, white papers, and how-tos!

To the Advent Calendar
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How modern broadband turns “somewhere else” to “right here”

Published: November 6, 2025
One of our customers recently said their favorite proof this matters isn’t a speed test—it’s when a neighbor taps Join and the call just works. The same customer told me about one of their residents, a dad describe gaming with his 10-year-old while uploading class photos and sending a video to a colleague—simultaneously. A couple of years ago, that screen just spun. This is important for communities because that one smooth connection is the first domino: homes can support work, school, care, and play without juggling or dropping the ball. That’s what modern broadband does—it keeps opportunity right here, in your house, your neighborhood and your community.

The gap we have to close

Too many areas still run on legacy networks and patchwork builds. Today’s life needs reliable, low-latency, symmetrical capacity. Only fiber scales for decades—not just product cycles.

Why rural communities get left behind—and what changes that

Traditional ROI favors dense metros. Rural means longer drops, fewer passings, thinner margins—the result being “have” vs “have-not” neighbourhoods. Communities are responding with public-private models: keep the physical network local, let private operators do what they do best, and share the upside as adoption grows—without the city having to “be the ISP”.

Open Access: the go-to model for turning demand into durable economics

Open Access separates the network into three layers—infrastructure (fiber/conduit), operations (active electronics), and services (ISPs and applications).One entity builds and maintains the fiber; many providers compete over it. Think airport + airlines: one shared, capital-intensive infrastructure; many consumer choices riding on top. This structure lifts take-rates (more choice → more buyers), reduces overbuild waste, and makes rural deployments cash-flow positive/ROI-positive on realistic timelines. It’s also future-proof: you can invite new providers or new classes of services (tele-health, smart ag, security) without touching the glass.

Two practical truths make Open Access work in the real world:

  1. Customer Self-Service. Subscribers shop, order, and manage accounts in a digital marketplace (the customer portal), so adds/moves/changes don’t swamp your team. Zero-touch provisioning turns “buy” into “live” in minutes.
  2. Automation across operations. Wholesale billing, tickets, work orders, and outage comms run off a single source of truth that ties addresses, services, providers, and network elements together—keeping OPEX in check as you scale.

→ fun fact, one of our customers runs their network with a team of two

The COS Systems piece (move fast, stay efficient)

  • COS Business Engine: runs the broadband business end-to-end—from surveys and sign-ups to activation, billing, and support.
  • Customer portal: address check, plan compare, checkout, payments, self-service changes, real-time status.
  • Provider portal: onboard ISPs, set products/promos/areas, manage marketplace listings, track orders and settlements.
  • Plus: automated orders & provisioning, wholesale billing/settlements, tickets, field ops, outages, reporting, and integrations.

Proof in the wild

City of Superior, WI: stood up a marketplace where residents compare providers, order, and manage accounts—fast path from concept to day-one take-rate.

Clearwater County, Alberta, Canada: Arcadis + Calix + COS—shared fiber platform serving multiple last-mile technologies with a consumer-friendly marketplace.

Kitsap PUD, WA: community-owned, open access; thousands of passings, 6+ ISPs, automated sign-ups to settlements—scaling without extra headcount.

How modern broadband turns “nowheres into “somewheres”

Own the long-lived fiber infrastructure, invite competition through more customer choice, and automate the journey. You get higher take-rates, lower churn, healthier unit economics—and real options for people who were told to “move for opportunity.” 

If you’re exploring how to take your “nowhere” to “somewhere,” let’s map demand, choose the right Open Access model, and stand up a marketplace your residents will actually use. That first flawless click on Join is closer than you think. 

Contact Adam today!

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Meet the latest addition to our team – Björn Sandman

Meet Our Team – Quick Q&A with Björn

Tell us a little bit about yourself – who are you, and what is your background?

I am 44 years old and was born and raised a little bit outside of Umeå. I have an education in computer science at Umeå University.

What caught your interest in COS Systems?

I worked at COS for nine years, then moved to the audiobook industry, where I’ve worked for seven years to expand my views. Now I feel it’s a good time to come back and bring new experience and perspectives.

What are your goals for the coming months?

Getting back up to speed and bringing some good practices to improve our processes. 

Why should people contact you and press the “connect with Björn” button?

I am always up for conversations about pretty much anything!

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.

I have an exceptionally acute sense of smell. While it offers little practical benefit, the drawback is that it makes me acutely aware of unpleasant smells.

If you could swap jobs with anyone at COS Systems for a day, who would it be and why?

Björn Wännman, it would be interesting to see things from the sales side.

What’s your go-to productivity hack when things get busy?

Not really a hack, but focus on a task at the time and try to ignore other things.

If you could instantly become an expert in one new skill, what would it be?

I’ve worked on both front-end and back-end development, but I’ve often relied on others for the visual design. If my design skills were stronger, I’d be more independent.”

What’s your favorite way to unwind after a long workday?

Usually, any form of exercise does the trick. Either a run, a long walk, or maybe a visit to the gym

Lastly, what’s one word your friends or colleagues would use to describe you?

Energetic

Welcome back Björn!

CONNECT WITH BJÖRN
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Meet the latest addition to our team – Emma Hjalmarsson Wahlström

 

 

Meet Our Team – Quick Q&A with Emma 

Tell us a little bit about yourself – who are you, and what is your background?

Hi! I’m Emma, born in Umeå in northern Sweden. I recently made a big life change—from hairdresser to software engineer. I took a two-year program in .NET System Development with AI competence, a hands-on education where we started building projects right away. It was incredibly fun and rewarding, and it really sparked my passion for development. I graduated in 2023 and have since worked at a startup, where I got to apply and grow my new skills. And now I’m thrilled to be here at a global, well-established company, continuing my journey as a Junior Software Engineer at COS.

What caught your interest in COS Systems?

Before I applied, I’d heard great things about COS from people who had worked with some of the employees here. When I walked into the office for my interview, everyone was so welcoming and warm—that feeling only grew stronger at my second interview. COS is a well-established company with a solid, well-structured system that I truly respect. The employees seem perfectly suited to their roles, and it’s clear everyone genuinely enjoys what they do.

What are your goals for the coming months?

I want to learn as much as possible about the company as a whole and grow into my role as a Junior Developer. I’m naturally curious and love understanding how things work. I’m also excited to get to know my colleagues—both here in Sweden and across other continents—and to better understand what everyone is working on at COS.

Why should people contact you and press the “connect with Emma” button?

I’m still new to the company and to my role as a Junior Developer, so I might not always be the right person for work-related questions just yet. But I do love a good chat, and if I can make someone smile, that makes my day. My hairdressing background means I’m naturally tuned in to listening and staying open to any kind of conversation. I’ve learned that when you do that, you often discover things you’d never have looked for on your own.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.

I pick up different dialects terrifyingly fast—it honestly embarrasses me sometimes! I’ll be mid-conversation and suddenly realize I’m talking just like the person I’m with. Help!
I also lived for a year in Barcelona, and I spent some time living in Hemavan, a ski resort in northern Sweden, while working in Mo i Rana, Norway. Fun fact: the road between Hemavan and Mo i Rana is only about 10 miles, but it’s incredibly tough to drive. Some days the road completely disappeared under the snow, and once I was even chased by a moose (true story!). They’re way faster than you’d think—I had to speed off in my car to get away!

If you could swap jobs with anyone at COS Systems for a day, who would it be and why?

Since I’m still new, I haven’t learned exactly what everyone does yet. But from what I’ve seen, I’d choose Maren Buchmüller, Head of Marketing—just to try something completely different. It also seems like a lot of fun!

What’s your go-to productivity hack when things get busy?

Headphones on and 8D music—it’s magical how focused I become. I also make sure to take short breaks throughout the day; I prefer many small ones rather than one long break, and I always try to get some fresh air.

If you could instantly become an expert in one new skill, what would it be?

I’d love to instantly become an expert in more programming languages, cybersecurity, and machine learning.

What’s your favorite way to unwind after a long workday?

An audiobook while I’m driving or out for a walk is my go-to. A good workout—or a good meal paired with a great TV show—also helps me relax after a long day.

Lastly, what’s one word your friends or colleagues would use to describe you?

  •  Caring.

Welcome aboard Emma!

CONNECT WITH EMMA
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Neutral Host Network: The Future of Shared Connectivity

Published: September 24, 2025

What is a Neutral Host Network?

Ever wonder why some areas have only one internet provider while others have more choice?

That’s where a neutral host network comes in. It’s a broadband network built to be open to multiple service providers. Think of it like a highway that anyone can drive on instead of private access roads.

The network owner focuses on building and delivering the infrastructure. Providers focus on providing their services on top of that shared infrastructure. Communities get choice, competition, and coverage.

Why Communities and Providers Care

  • Communities want affordable, reliable broadband.
  • Providers want to expand without crushing infrastructure costs.
  • Residents and businesses want options—not just one ISP.

A neutral host network checks all three boxes. It’s built for scale, flexibility, and shared use. That’s why more local governments, utilities, and private partners are looking at this model.

The Problems Neutral Host Networks Solve

  • High build costs – fiber and wireless deployments are capital intensive.
  • Limited competition – one provider often dominates a market.
  • Slow expansion – small ISPs struggle to break in.
  • Funding pressure – federal and state programs demand sustainable solutions.

Neutral host networks help overcome each of these.

How Neutral Host Networks Work in Practice

Here’s the simple version:

  • One network, many tenants
  • A neutral host (city, utility, or private company) builds, maintains, and operates the infrastructure.
  • Multiple service providers lease capacity and compete to serve end users.

It’s not theory—it’s already happening in the U.S. and abroad.

Benefits for Providers, Communities, and End Users

For providers:

  • Lower entry costs
  • Faster time to market
  • No need to duplicate infrastructure

For communities:

  • Long-term ownership of critical infrastructure
  • More providers = competition drives innovation in products and services
  • Attracts businesses and talent

For end users:

  • More choice
  • Better prices
  • Improved service quality

Funding and Sustainability: Making it Real

Federal programs like BEAD, ARPA, and CPF are pouring billions into broadband. But money alone doesn’t solve sustainability.

Here’s what makes a neutral host network last:

  • Open access policies that attract providers
  • Scalable platforms to manage services and billing
  • Community buy-in to keep adoption high

Without these, even funded projects risk stalling.

Stories from the Field

When I worked with state broadband offices, one pattern stood out: Projects controlled by a single provider often ran into roadblocks—slower builds, higher costs, and limited competition. But when communities adopted open access or neutral host models, progress accelerated.

Take Kitsap Public Utility District in Washington State.
Operating a fully open-access fiber network since 2016 and powered by COS Systems, Kitsap PUD has become a leading example of how neutral host models can drive digital equity in rural and underserved areas.

  • 400+ miles of fiber deployed
  • 6,000+ premises passed and growing
  • Multiple ISPs on the network, offering true customer choice
  • Take rates exceeding 40% in some areas, far above national averages for new fiber builds

By leveraging COS Business Engine to automate service provisioning, manage multi-ISP workflows, and streamline customer support through the customer portal, Kitsap PUD reduced operational complexity and enabled faster onboarding of ISPs. The result? Competitive pressure that improved service offerings and reduced costs for residents—without duplicating infrastructure.

This isn’t a theoretical model—it’s a functioning, scalable, and sustainable network that’s helping close the digital divide one community at a time.

That’s the power of the neutral host model in action.

What to Watch for Next

The neutral host network isn’t just a trend—it’s becoming the backbone of digital equity. Expect to see:

  • More public-private partnerships
  • More municipal, utility, and public sector network infrastructure ownership
  • Platforms that simplify multi-provider network management

The future isn’t about one provider owning the road. It’s about building the road together—and letting everyone drive on it.

— Adam Puckett, VP Sales Americas @ COS Systems

Do you want to learn more or to explore how COS Systems can help you launch or optimize a neutral host fiber network?

Contact Adam today!

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The Rise of Neutral Hosts in the Digital Infrastructure Value Chain

Published: September 15, 2025

A Turning Point for Broadband: Ownership, Access, and Innovation

The global telecommunications and broadband infrastructure landscape is undergoing a pivotal transformation. As capital demands for building and upgrading high-capacity networks continue to surge, traditional models of vertically integrated ownership are proving economically unsustainable.

Enter the neutral host: a scalable, cost-efficient model that is now redefining how broadband infrastructure is deployed, financed, and utilized.

The Evolution of the Neutral Host Model

Since the early 2000s, operators have taken incremental steps toward infrastructure sharing, initially through joint ventures and structural separations (e.g., InfraCos and ServiceCos). What began as tower-sharing has now expanded into a robust ecosystem of neutral hosts covering:

  • Fiber broadband networks (FTTx)
  • Open access platforms
  • Edge and in-building infrastructure
  • Data centers and satellite ground stations
  • Government-sponsored wholesale networks

Notably, models like Australia’s National Broadband Network (NBN) and Malaysia’s Multi-Operator Core Network (MOCN) show how public-private collaboration can successfully catalyze the neutral host model. However, it is the expansion of open access fiber networks, often underpinned by software-driven operational platforms like COS Business Engine, that has brought neutrality from niche to necessity.

COS Systems’ Role: Enabling Open Access at Scale

At COS Systems, we specialize in enabling neutral open access fiber networks through our end-to-end SaaS platform. The COS Business Engine provides the automation, service orchestration, and financial transparency necessary for infrastructure owners to lease wholesale access to multiple ISPs—without sacrificing neutrality, performance, or customer experience.

This software-driven neutrality supports everything from service catalog integration and SLA management to automated billing and provisioning—drastically reducing operational overhead while maximizing service diversity and tenant revenue.

Market Forces Driving Neutral Hosts Forward

Several macroeconomic and technological forces are accelerating this shift:

  • ROI Pressures: Infrastructure investors seek long-term utility-like returns. Neutral host models—with their higher tenancy ratios and lower per-user costs—offer predictable income streams.
  • Policy Support: Regulators across the EU, US, and parts of Africa are actively promoting wholesale and open access models to increase broadband competition and close the digital divide.
  • Technology Shifts: The movement toward network virtualization, AI-powered network management, and 5G/6G-ready infrastructure favors modular ownership models where neutrality is essential for cross-industry applications.

Legal and Commercial Considerations: Navigating the Complexity

For ISPs and Service Providers:

  • Loss of Infrastructure Control: Dependence on neutral hosts requires robust SLAs and assurances to meet customer expectations, particularly in mission-critical use cases.
  • Margin Pressure: Retail pricing flexibility may be constrained by fixed wholesale access fees, requiring careful contract negotiation.
  • Compliance Allocation: Data protection, lawful intercept, and infrastructure obligations must be clearly divided between hosts and service providers.

For Neutral Host Owners:

  • Sale-Leaseback Complexity: Transitions must balance autonomy with anchor tenant requirements for performance and pricing.
  • Operational Independence: Neutral hosts must be fully operational on day one—either through in-house capabilities or transitional agreements.
  • Vendor and SLA Coordination: Active services increase the complexity of coordinating across vendors, tenants, and platforms.

Regulatory Dynamics: Global Variability, Shared Uncertainty

Regulation of neutral hosts varies significantly across regions. In some jurisdictions, they are regulated as carriers or critical infrastructure providers. Others are still defining appropriate legal and operational frameworks.

COS Systems supports stakeholders in navigating this uncertainty through proven deployment strategies that comply with regional telecom, privacy, and infrastructure standards.

Conclusion: Neutrality as an Innovation Driver

The rise of neutral hosts marks a foundational shift in how broadband infrastructure is owned, operated, and monetized. Enabled by platforms like COS Business Engine, this model allows fiber owners to scale infrastructure investments while enabling a competitive and innovative retail ecosystem.

As demand for high-speed, reliable connectivity increases—especially in underserved and rural regions—the neutral host model emerges not only as a viable solution but a critical enabler of digital equity, economic development, and service innovation.

With COS Systems, infrastructure owners and operators gain the tools to deploy and manage neutral, automated, and future-proof broadband networks that deliver on both financial and societal ROI.

Related COS Capabilities

For more information or to explore how COS Systems can help you launch or optimize a neutral host fiber network, get in touch with our team.

Learn more and book your demo today!
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What is a Neutral Host Network?

Neutral Host Network: The Future of Shared Connectivity

What is a Neutral Host Network?

Ever wonder why some areas have only one internet provider while others have more choice?
That’s where a neutral host network comes in.
It’s a broadband network built to be open to multiple service providers.
Think of it like a highway that anyone can drive on instead of private toll roads.
The network owner focuses on infrastructure.
Providers focus on services.
Communities get choice, competition, and coverage.

Why Communities and Providers Care

Cities want affordable, reliable broadband.
Providers want to expand without crushing infrastructure costs.
Residents want options—not just one ISP.
A neutral host network checks all three boxes.
It’s built for scale, flexibility, and shared use.
That’s why more local governments and private partners are looking at this model.

The Problems Neutral Host Networks Solve

Broadband expansion has some real challenges:

  • High build costs – fiber and wireless deployments are expensive.
  • Limited competition – one provider often dominates a market.
  • Slow expansion – small ISPs struggle to break in.
  • Funding pressure – federal and state programs demand sustainable solutions.
    Neutral host networks help overcome each of these.

How Neutral Host Networks Work in Practice

Here’s the simple version:

  • One network, many tenants
  • A neutral host (city, utility, or private company) builds and maintains the infrastructure.
  • Multiple service providers lease capacity and compete to serve end users.
    It’s not theory—it’s already happening in the U.S. and abroad.

Benefits for Providers, Cities, and End Users

For providers:

  • Lower entry costs
  • Faster time to market
  • No need to duplicate infrastructure

For cities:

  • Long-term ownership of critical infrastructure
  • More providers = more digital equity
  • Attracts businesses and talent

For end users:

  • More choice
  • Better prices
  • Improved service quality

Funding and Sustainability: Making it Real

Federal programs like BEAD, ARPA, and CPF are pouring billions into broadband.
But money alone doesn’t solve sustainability.

Here’s what makes a neutral host network last:

  • Open access policies that attract providers
  • Scalable platforms to manage services and billing
  • Community buy-in to keep adoption high. Without these, even funded projects risk stalling.

Stories from the Field

When I worked with state broadband offices, one pattern stood out.
Projects with single-provider control often hit roadblocks.
But when communities set up open access or neutral host models, things moved faster.
Example: A small Midwest city used federal funds to build shared fiber.
Within months, three ISPs signed on.
Competition drove prices down by 20%.
That’s the power of the model.

What to Watch for Next

The neutral host network isn’t just a trend—it’s becoming the backbone of digital equity.
Expect to see:

  • More public-private partnerships
  • Wireless neutral hosts powering 5G small cells
  • Platforms that simplify multi-provider network management
    The future isn’t about one provider owning the road.
    It’s about building the road together—and letting everyone drive on it.

Learn more

Open Access Broadband Solutions

COS Business Engine

NTIA BEAD Program

FCC Broadband Data

 

Learn more and contact us today!
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