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:
- 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.
- 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.