Firefly Fiber Broadband Partners with Calix for Wi-Fi Services and Smart Home

Calix (NYSE:CALX) announced that Firefly Fiber Broadband is launching services over a Calix powered fiber network for delivering gigabit speeds, whole home managed Wi-Fi and voice service.

The company said that the network is owned by Central Virginia Electric Cooperative (CVEC) and that the service will be available to all of the CVEC members.

As quoted in the press release:

Another example of the growing number of electric cooperatives partnering with Calix to enter the broadband marketplace with an eye towards enabling the smart home of tomorrow, CVEC is launching a five-year, $110 million project to build 4,600 miles of fiber across portions of 14 counties in the region. The network will be leased by Firefly Fiber Broadband, a start-up Internet service provider (ISP) that is a wholly-owned subsidiary of CVEC. Firefly is partnering with Calix to leverage the full end-to-end capabilities that Calix offers from access network solutions to subscriber premises and cloud analytics solutions.

The first connections are planned in Appomattox, Virginia at the end of 2018. Upon sign up, all Firefly Fiber Broadband subscribers will receive Managed Wi-Fi as part of their service. The ISP will leverage Calix GigaCenters and 804Mesh satellites to deliver world-class Wi-Fi performance while managing the in-home network through Calix Support Cloud. This complete Wi-Fi package ensures an unmatched subscriber experience for all who sign up with Firefly Fiber Broadband. By moving aggressively to deploy world class managed Wi-Fi and whole home Wi-Fi offerings, Firefly will establish a powerful foundation to expand into future service areas such as Smart Home services.

“The launch of our initial Firefly Fiber Broadband services is an incredible milestone for our business and our community, one that is just beginning this exciting journey,” said Firefly Fiber Broadband CEO Gary Wood. “We are looking forward to all the benefits that our new fiber network will enable for our members, the area’s economic development, and our own electrical system. As we partner with Calix to build out this network to reach all of CVEC’s 37,000 members, we are confident it will be the foundation for a new connected way of life for our rural communities.”

With the Calix E7-2 powering this new fiber network, Firefly Fiber Broadband will offer broadband service to both residential and commercial subscribers, but the new communication system will benefit CVEC’s internal operations as well. CVEC will be able to better incorporate smart grid technology into its daily operations, enabling efficiency-generating applications such as demand response and distributed energy management. The low latency delivered by the fiber network will also allow CVEC to gather energy usage data in real time to help lower power costs through dynamically optimizing grid operations and resources. Along with increased reliability and expanded security capabilities, all of these new efficiencies are realized through the same Calix-based fiber network infrastructure that will provide gigabit services to Firefly Fiber Broadband’s subscribers.

“It’s exciting to see a new entrant service provider like Firefly Fiber Broadband understand and pursue the value of fiber from day one. They will be delivering some of the fastest symmetrical Internet speeds possible with the best in-home Wi-Fi, setting the stage for advanced services like smart home services. More importantly they can deliver these services while optimizing their operations through cloud analytics,” said Skip Hirvela, Calix vice president of sales. “CVEC, the innovative driving force behind this new network, has investigated the best approach to deliver broadband services and is in lock-step with the more sophisticated demands of modern consumers. It’s been fantastic to see CVEC join many of our other customers in prioritizing carrier-class Wi-Fi, and as we move forward together, we can’t wait to see how this network will allow these central Virginia communities and CVEC’s business to thrive in the age of the smart home.”

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