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Broadband Mystery Tour

Solve the Secrets of Connectivity!

The Mystery Unfolds

Step into the shoes of a broadband detective for an immersive adventure where you’ll unravel real-world connectivity challenges. Work alongside industry leaders to crack the code of successful broadband deployments – no powerpoints, no lectures, no sales pitches just hands-on problem-solving that gets results.

The Broadband Mystery Tour is an interactive, problem-solving roadshow designed to demystify broadband deployment through a fun and engaging Scooby-Doo-style mystery experience. Instead of presentations, we focus on conversations, collaboration, and hands-on challenges to help communities and industry leaders uncover the key to successful broadband expansion.

Guided by the Mystery Gang—a powerhouse team of broadband experts and sponsors including Bonfire, Vetro, COS, Ocius-X, Nokia, and Hexatronic—attendees will step into the role of Broadband Detectives to solve real-world connectivity challenges across four key phases: Planning, Design, Construction, and Operations.

From cracking the case of missing business plans to unraveling network design puzzles and solving construction bottlenecks, this immersive event equips attendees with the knowledge and confidence to build sustainable, high-performance broadband networks.

Join us on the Broadband Mystery Tour—where we solve the clues, connect the unconnected, and bring communities online!

Are you ready to crack the broadband code?

Is This Adventure Right for You?

✓ Community Leaders: Learn how to champion broadband initiatives
✓ ISP Professionals: Master next-gen network deployment strategies
✓ Network Engineers: Get hands-on with cutting-edge solutions
✓ Tech Leaders: Understand the future of connectivity
✓ Policy Makers: Discover what makes broadband projects succeed

Learn more and become a broadband detective!

 

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BSS/OSS Transformation in Telecommunications

BSS/OSS Transformation in Telecommunications: Key Considerations and Best Practices

As telecommunications networks evolve with fiber broadband, 5G, and cloud technologies, legacy Business Support Systems (BSS) and Operations Support Systems (OSS) struggle to keep up. Modernizing these systems is crucial for improving efficiency, enhancing customer experiences, and staying competitive.

Why BSS/OSS Transformation is Essential

BSS (Business Support Systems)

BSS manages customer-facing operations, including:

  • Billing & Revenue Management – Accurate invoicing and charging.
  • CRM – Customer interactions and support.
  • Product & Order Management – Service creation and provisioning.
  • Self-Service Portals – Enabling digital customer engagement.

OSS (Operations Support Systems)

OSS focuses on network management, such as:

  • Network Inventory & Orchestration – Tracking and automating network assets.
  • Service Provisioning & Activation – Enabling rapid service deployment.
  • Fault & Performance Management – Ensuring network health and reliability.

Key Drivers of BSS/OSS Transformation

  1. Cloud & SaaS Adoption – Moving from legacy systems to scalable, flexible platforms.
  2. 5G & Fiber Expansion – Demanding faster, automated service management.
  3. Customer Expectations – Requiring real-time activation, self-service, and personalization.
  4. Regulatory Compliance – Ensuring adherence to industry and legal standards.
  5. Cost Optimization – Reducing operational expenses and inefficiencies.

Challenges in BSS/OSS Transformation

  • Legacy System Complexity – Migrating from outdated platforms without disruption.
  • Multi-Vendor Integration – Ensuring seamless interoperability.
  • Data Migration Risks – Maintaining data integrity during the transition.
  • Resistance to Change – Encouraging adoption across teams.
  • Cost & Timeline Overruns – Managing project scope effectively.

Best Practices for a Successful Transformation

  1. Define a Clear Roadmap – Set goals and prioritize a phased approach.
  2. Choose the Right Technology Partners – Select cloud-native, API-driven solutions.
  3. Focus on Automation & AI – Streamline operations and enhance decision-making.
  4. Implement Agile & DevOps – Accelerate deployment with iterative improvements.
  5. Ensure Robust Data Migration – Test and validate for accuracy.
  6. Emphasize Change Management – Train employees and foster adoption.

BSS/OSS transformation is essential for telecom operators to improve efficiency, agility, and customer experience. By adopting cloud-based, automated, and interoperable solutions, operators can future-proof their networks while reducing costs.

Looking to modernize your BSS/OSS systems? Contact us to learn how COS Business Engine can support your transformation. 

 

Book Your Demo Today!
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Demand Aggregation in Fiber Broadband and How It Works in COS Business Engine

Understanding Demand Aggregation in Fiber Broadband and Its Role in COS Business Engine

The success of a fiber broadband network relies on more than just deploying infrastructure—it depends on ensuring that there is enough demand to make the investment viable. This is where demand aggregation comes into play. By gathering and analyzing interest from potential customers before building out the network, broadband providers can optimize deployment, reduce financial risk, and accelerate take-up rates.

What Is Demand Aggregation in Fiber Broadband?

Demand aggregation is the process of collecting and analyzing consumer interest in fiber broadband before network construction begins. This approach helps service providers:

  • Identify areas with the highest demand
  • Prioritize network rollout to maximize return on investment (ROI)
  • Reduce financial and operational risks by ensuring there are enough subscribers
  • Engage communities early, fostering awareness and commitment to fiber adoption

Instead of deploying fiber and hoping customers will sign up, demand aggregation ensures that ISPs and network operators invest in locations where there is a proven interest.

How Demand Aggregation Works in COS Business Engine

COS Business Engine provides an advanced and automated approach to demand aggregation, making it easier for fiber network operators to gauge interest, manage pre-signups, and strategically plan their network build. Here’s how it works:

1. Capturing Customer Interest

The process begins by enabling potential customers to express interest in fiber broadband through an online registration form in the customer portal. This portal allows residents and businesses to sign up and indicate their level of commitment, whether it’s simply interest or a pre-order.

2. Geographic Demand Mapping

COS Business Engine segments the network area into demand zones like neighborhoods or towns. The platform then tracks how many residents in each zone have registered their interest, providing real-time insight into the highest demand.

3. Setting Take-Rate Thresholds

Network operators can set a minimum take-rate threshold for each area to ensure a viable deployment. For example, if a provider requires a 40% commitment level before proceeding, COS Business Engine will track progress toward that goal and notify stakeholders when the target is met.

4. Automated Customer Engagement

Through the system’s built-in communication tools, potential customers receive automated updates, marketing materials, and calls to action, encouraging them to complete their sign-up. This engagement helps drive momentum and increase participation rates.

5. Decision-Making and Rollout Planning

Once a neighborhood or zone reaches the required take rate, COS Business Engine flags it as ready for deployment. The system can then automatically transition pre-signups into active orders, streamlining the next steps for network construction and service activation.

6. Post-Deployment Conversion and Service Activation

After installing fiber, COS Business Engine plays a crucial role in converting interested customers into paying subscribers. The system ensures a seamless transition from demand aggregation to order fulfillment and service provisioning.

The Benefits of Demand Aggregation with COS Business Engine

  • Optimized Network Investments: Focus resources on areas with proven demand, reducing financial risk.
  • Faster Market Entry: Prioritizing high-interest zones speeds up customer acquisition and revenue generation.
  • Higher Take Rates: Engaging communities early leads to more substantial adoption rates once the network goes live.
  • Automated and Efficient Process: COS Business Engine eliminates manual tracking, providing a seamless, data-driven approach.

Demand aggregation is a critical strategy for ensuring a fiber broadband network’s financial and operational success. COS Business Engine provides the tools necessary to automate and optimize this process, allowing network operators to make informed decisions, minimize risk, and maximize customer adoption. By leveraging demand aggregation, fiber providers can build smarter, more efficient networks that meet real customer needs from day one.

Would you like me to include specific case studies or examples?

Ready to optimize your operations? Contact us today to learn more!

Book Your Demo Today!
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How can you use automation to improve ISP services?

What is Customer Service Automation and How Can You Use It to Improve Your ISP Services

In the fast-moving broadband industry, customer service automation is crucial for delivering quick, seamless, and cost-efficient support. By automating repetitive tasks, ISPs can enhance customer experiences, improve efficiency, and free up staff to focus on complex issues. Here’s how you can set up automation using the COS Business Engine and its powerful customer portal.

What Is Customer Service Automation?

Customer service automation uses technology to handle tasks like service requests, troubleshooting, and billing notifications without human intervention. Key benefits include:

  • 24/7 Availability: Customers get support anytime.
  • Faster Resolutions: Issues are addressed instantly.
  • Cost Efficiency: Reduced manual workload lowers operational costs.

In the COS Business Engine, automation is seamlessly integrated with tools like the customer portal to simplify customer interactions.

How To Set It Up in Business Engine

  1. Enable the Customer Portal
    The customer portal empowers users to manage accounts, report issues, and access self-service tools. Customize and publish it in the Business Engine admin panel to give customers 24/7 access.
  2. Set Up Automation Rules
    Automate common processes like ticket routing, billing reminders, and service notifications. Use the “Automation” tab in Business Engine to define triggers (e.g., service requests) and assign actions (e.g., email confirmations).
  3. Build a Knowledge Base
    Create a library of FAQs, guides, and troubleshooting tips. Link it to the customer portal to help customers resolve issues independently.
  4. Monitor and Optimize
    Use Business Engine analytics to track automation performance, customer satisfaction, and resolution times. Refine workflows based on these insights.

Benefits of Automation in Business Engine

By automating customer service, ISPs can reduce costs, resolve issues faster, and empower customers through self-service in the customer portal. This leads to higher customer satisfaction and scalable operations.

Ready to optimize your operations? Contact us today to learn more!

Book Your Demo Today!
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What is Customer Service Automation?

What Is Customer Service Automation? How To Set It Up in Business Engine

In the fast-moving broadband industry, customer service automation is crucial for delivering quick, seamless, and cost-efficient support. By automating repetitive tasks, ISPs can enhance customer experiences, improve efficiency, and free up staff to focus on complex issues. Here’s how you can set up automation using the COS Business Engine and its powerful customer portal.

What Is Customer Service Automation?

Customer service automation uses technology to handle tasks like service requests, troubleshooting, and billing notifications without human intervention. Key benefits include:

  • 24/7 Availability: Customers get support anytime.
  • Faster Resolutions: Issues are addressed instantly.
  • Cost Efficiency: Reduced manual workload lowers operational costs.

In the COS Business Engine, automation is seamlessly integrated with tools like the customer portal to simplify customer interactions.

How To Set It Up in Business Engine

  1. Enable the Customer Portal
    The customer portal empowers users to manage accounts, report issues, and access self-service tools. Customize and publish it in the Business Engine admin panel to give customers 24/7 access.
  2. Set Up Automation Rules
    Automate common processes like ticket routing, billing reminders, and service notifications. Use the “Automation” tab in Business Engine to define triggers (e.g., service requests) and assign actions (e.g., email confirmations).
  3. Build a Knowledge Base
    Create a library of FAQs, guides, and troubleshooting tips. Link it to the customer portal to help customers resolve issues independently.
  4. Monitor and Optimize
    Use Business Engine analytics to track automation performance, customer satisfaction, and resolution times. Refine workflows based on these insights.

Benefits of Automation in Business Engine

By automating customer service, ISPs can reduce costs, resolve issues faster, and empower customers through self-service in the customer portal. This leads to higher customer satisfaction and scalable operations.

Ready to optimize your operations? Contact us today to learn more!

Book Your Demo Today!

 

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Automate Your Network from Mapping to Operations

Managing fiber network operations is complex, from mapping and demand aggregation to installation, billing, and support. Operators often face delays, errors, and inefficiencies due to challenging hand-offs between teams and systems. COS Business Engine offers a comprehensive solution to streamline every stage of your operations, reducing errors, accelerating timelines, and enhancing the customer experience:

 Integration Capabilities and Flexible APIs

  • COS Business Engine APIs: Business Engine provides robust APIs and webhooks for integrating third-party tools likeVETRO FiberMap enabling seamless data exchange and continuous mapping updates. This integration lets operators efficiently manage both physical network and subscriber data.
  • Network Management: Integrating with third-party mapping and network management software allows Business Engine to automatically update serviceable addresses, network statuses, and work orders. This seamless integration ensures that network data remains accurate and actionable, streamlining operations and enhancing service management.

Automated, Demand Driven Planning

  • Demand Aggregation Tools: Business Engine’s demand aggregation functionality helps operators gauge interest across mapped areas, which is crucial for informed planning. Using Business Engine’s pre-signup features, operators can identify high-interest areas and prioritize them based on updated mapping data, targeting areas with high demand and optimizing ROI.

Automated Installments and Provisioning

  • Installment Workflow: Business Engine automates tasks from initial connection to diagnostics. Integrating third-party mapping data allows for dynamic updates to deployment phases and service eligibility, streamlining the build-out process based on real-time geographic and technical information.
  • Zero-Touch Provisioning: Once a location is ready for service, Business Egnine enables zero-touch provisioning, which automatically activates services and captures critical deployment data, such as ONT diagnostics, for smooth service delivery.

Subscriber Management and Service Provisioning

  • Automated Subscriber Services: Operators can use Business Engine’s marketplace and customer portal to allow self-service for service selection. Our integration with third-party mapping solutions allows automatic updates to network availability on subscriber portals, enabling customers to instantly check service eligibility based on the latest build-out status.

COS Business Engine’s integration with fiber network management platforms like VETRO or OSPInsight/IQGeo, combined with automated workflows for installments, service activation, and demand aggregation, delivers an end-to-end solution for fiber network operators to manage their infrastructure seamlessly.

Learn more and book your demo today!
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Why Is Data Integrity Important

Data Integrity COS Systems

Why is Data Integrity Important?

Data integrity is crucial for the success of any system, particularly one like COS Business Engine, managing complex network operations and customer interactions. Here’s why maintaining data integrity is essential:

Accurate Decision-Making: Reliable data allows network operators to make informed decisions. For instance, precise diagnostics and service provisioning data enable quick troubleshooting and ensure customers receive the correct services.

Operational Efficiency: Automated processes in COS Business Engine depend heavily on clean, validated data. Inaccuracies can disrupt workflows, leading to service delays, billing errors, or provisioning failures, all of which increase operational costs and workloads.

Customer Satisfaction: Accurate data ensures a seamless user experience. Customers rely on precise information about service availability, pricing, and billing. When data integrity is compromised, issues such as incorrect billing or service disruptions arise, ultimately leading to dissatisfaction.

Compliance and Revenue Assurance: Inaccurate data can result in billing disputes or compliance challenges, especially in Open Access or wholesale networks involving multiple service providers. High data integrity ensures accurate billing and minimizes revenue loss from “free riders” or errors.

Security and Trust: Data integrity protects against unauthorized changes or corruption, ensuring sensitive customer and network data remains secure. This transparency fosters trust between service providers and customers or partners.

Within COS Business Engine, data integrity is a fundamental aspect of the platform’s design, supporting accurate and reliable operations. The platform employs several methods to maintain high data quality:

  • Automation and Validation: The system automates tasks like service provisioning and billing, relying on accurate data inputs. Thousands of validations are built into the platform to prevent errors and maintain data integrity.
  • Real-Time Data Monitoring: Integration with network management systems provides real-time status updates, enabling proactive network performance monitoring and issue resolution.
  • Centralized Database: Key data such as subscriber information, service locations, and billing details are stored in a centralized database, ensuring consistency across different platform modules.
  • API Integration and Data Synchronization: APIs facilitate seamless integration with third-party systems, ensuring data remains synchronized and accurate.

By automating processes, implementing rigorous validation, and ensuring continuous monitoring, COS Business Engine reduces human error and enhances data quality. This, in turn, supports efficient, secure, and reliable network operations.

Learn more and book your demo today!
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How is an Open Access Network structured?

How Open Access Can Increase Scalability with Minimal Staff 

Open Access networks help scalability with minimal staff through several key mechanisms:

  1. Division of Responsibilities: In Open Access, the network operator is responsible for maintaining the physical infrastructure, while multiple Internet Service Providers (ISPs) offer services like internet, TV, and phone over the network. This means that ISPs handle customer-facing, time-consuming tasks such as billing, and customer support, which significantly reduces the workload for the network operator’s staff​​.
  2. Automation: This business model requires a platform like COS Business Engine that supports automation throughout the network lifecycle. Integrations with external platforms like Nokia and Vetro automate tasks like provisioning and network mapping and activate services without manual intervention when a customer places an order. Similarly, automated billing processes for ISPs ensure that the operator does not need to handle financial transactions, reducing administrative overhead​​.
  3. Efficient Use of Infrastructure: Open Access maximizes the use of existing infrastructure by enabling multiple service providers to operate on the same physical network. This shared infrastructure model allows the operator to scale the network to serve more customers without proportionately expanding staff.
  4. ISP Handled Customer Support: Since ISPs manage customer support, troubleshooting, and issue resolution for their subscribers, the operator’s staffing needs for customer service are significantly reduced. ISPs use integrated platforms and tools like a subscriber marketplace to manage customer interactions, freeing the operator from directly interacting with end-users except for infrastructure maintenance.

Conclusion

By automating core operations, leveraging self-service tools, and delegation customer-facing roles to ISPs, Open Access allows network operators to scale efficiently with a minimal workforce, focusing on maintaining and expanding the network infrastructure.

Learn more and book your demo today!

 

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How an online marketplace outperforms your phone service

An integrated marketplace such as COS online marketplace outperforms traditional phone service in several key ways, thanks to its automation, self-service functionality, and scalability:

24/7 Accessibility: COS’ online marketplace is always available, allowing customers to browse, purchase, and manage services at their convenience, independent of any business hours.

Instant Service Activation: COS Business Engine’s marketplace integrates automatic service activation, so when a customer purchases a service, it is immediately provisioned and ready for use within minutes. This eliminates the delays that often occur with phone-based transactions, where manual intervention is needed​​.

Self-Service Efficiency: The platform’s self-service capabilities allow customers to resolve many issues independently. Service selection, billing, and account management can be handled without waiting on hold for support, which reduces the workload on customer service representatives (CSRs) and speeds up issue resolution.

Accurate Information: Customers get the latest information and details on services, pricing, and terms directly from the marketplace. This reduces the risk of miscommunication that can occur with phone interactions.

Enhanced User Experience: COS marketplace is designed to offer a superior user experience. Customers can easily navigate the interface to find what they need, avoiding the complexity of phone menus and long wait times. The platform also supports multiple service providers in an open-access model, offering more choices and driving higher satisfaction​s

Conclusion

By combining automation, convenience, and user control, COS’ online marketplace provides a faster, more efficient, and user-friendly alternative to phone-based services.

Learn more and book your demo today!
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