Case Study: How the City of Superior Built an Open Access Fiber Network with COS Business Engine

The Real Questions Cities Ask

Why is fast, affordable internet still out of reach for so many?

Why do small businesses keep paying too much for poor service?

And how can a city with limited resources compete with giants to give residents what they actually need?

Those are the same questions the City of Superior in Wisconsin faced. Instead of waiting for private providers to step up, they took matters into their own hands.

Why Superior Chose Open Access

Residents had limited choice, outdated infrastructure, and rising costs.

Businesses were stuck paying for unreliable connections.

Too many households still lacked access to fiber.

Superior leaders didn’t want to just fix today’s problem. They wanted to future-proof their city.

That’s why they chose to build ConnectSuperior, a city-owned open access fiber network.

Open access means:

• The city owns the fiber.
• Multiple internet service providers (ISPs) compete to serve customers.
• People finally get real choice, better prices, and better service.

As Mayor Jim Paine said: “This is our first new public utility in more than a century.”

The Challenge: Limited Staff, Big Ambitions

The numbers paint the picture:

• $6.25 million budgeted for the first leg.
• Targeting 27,000 residents across the full buildout.
• Estimated $40–60 million to complete the project.
• Aiming for 10,000 addresses in the system and 4,000 subscribers.

And here’s the kicker: Superior is a small city with just a handful of employees.

So how do you manage multiple providers, thousands of subscribers, and constant expansion with a lean team?

Part of the Solution: COS Business Engine

That’s where COS Business Engine came in.

It gave the City of Superior:

• A single platform to manage their open access network.
• Automation for service orders, customer management, and provider onboarding.
• Integration with tools like Altiplano and Vetro for network and GIS management.
• Scalability so that a small team can operate like a much larger organization.

Surveys showed residents loved the progress.

Collaboration between the city, ISPs, and COS was described as “a joint journey.”

Early Wins on the Ground

Phase one rolled out service to 860 households and businesses.

Construction crews installed fiber near the University of Wisconsin–Superior.

Local providers like Duluthian Networks stepped in to offer customer support and internet service over the city’s fiber.

And here’s the difference people noticed:

• Choice where there was none.
• Lower costs thanks to competition.
• Reliable service built on modern fiber.

The COS Perspective (Åsa Broman’s Notes)

I’ve worked in telecom and fiber rollouts for over 20 years, and here’s what stands out about Superior’s case:

• They didn’t cherry-pick. Many providers skip hard-to-reach areas. Superior said, “We’re building for everyone.”
• They embraced true collaboration. City staff, ISPs, and COS worked as one team.
• They proved small cities can think big. With the right system, a lean staff can run a full-scale open access network.

COS Business Engine made complex processes feel simple. That’s the power of automation, integration, and keeping the customer at the center.

Lessons for Other Cities

Are you thinking about building your own network? Here are a few takeaways from Superior’s journey:

• Start small, scale smart. A pilot phase builds confidence and proves the model.
• Keep it open. Open access networks drive competition and keep residents happy.
• Pick the right tools. The right software lets a few people manage thousands of customers.
• Don’t wait for private providers. If they haven’t solved the problem yet, they won’t tomorrow.

Moving Forward

Superior’s open access network is still in its early stages, with plans to expand citywide through revenue, grants, and infrastructure investments.

Each new address and subscriber is a step toward making the network more sustainable.

The City’s experience shows that open access is practical, not just an idea — and with COS Business Engine, even a small team can successfully manage and grow a modern broadband network.

More Resources on the Topic

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