ITS Telecom Wraps Smart Homes in Mesh

Back in 2009, ITS Telecom opted to equip each residence in its footprint with fiber-to-the-home. That strategy continues to pay off as the Florida operator now implements a smart home policy that combines high-speed broadband capacities with mesh network capabilities to offer customers a fully managed smart home experience.

Tracking a steady surge in Internet of Things (IoT) and WiFi devices that led to more support calls and expensive truck rolls, the service provider developed a new managed WiFi service to support residential customers, said Jeff Leslie, president and CEO of ITS Telecom.

"Last holiday season we saw an increased volume of calls and costly truck rolls as consumer WiFi products entered our subscribers' homes," he said. "Our new Managed WiFi service provides the best coverage available in the market, costs significantly less than solutions they can buy in retail stores and provides enhanced technical support."

ITS Telecom, based in Indiantown, Fla., already uses Calix Inc. (NYSE: CALX) GigaCenters and Calix Cloud to manage subscriber experience and enable remote support to reduce truck rolls. The service provider now is adding the Calix mesh-enhanced Carrier-Class WiFi solution, EXOS, to its Calix Cloud service to open the door to new revenue opportunities and further enhancements to customer service.

Using Calix EXOS, ITS Telecom expects to leverage its broadband infrastructure and subscriber relationships to provide residential customers with fully managed smart homes, said Leslie.

The carrier-class operating system -- which ultimately will support mobile, residential and enterprise users -- allows service providers to deploy one OS across a home to manage IoT devices and subscriber experiences, according to Calix. This allows operators to control the whole experience, including WiFi, which end-customers often blame for IoT problems, whether or not it actually is at the root of the problem.

"Communications service providers have an established foothold in the connected home by virtue of their existing subscriber relationships. However, in an increasingly competitive environment that footing may be precarious," said Michael Weening, executive vice president of sales and marketing at Calix, in a release. "Innovative service providers, like ITS Telecom, recognize the need for a smart home strategy if they want to be ready for the impending surge of IoT devices that will flood the connected home. The value-added services that ITS has created provide subscribers with an improved experience while also creating differentiation from consumer offerings."

By managing smart homes, service providers open up opportunities in related, complementary areas including security, telehealth, education and insurance. With reliable ultra-broadband in place, with interoperability and management issues simplified, residential subscribers are liberated to explore additional ways in which to use their high-speed connectivity -- and service providers have new prospects for revenue and stickier relationships.

Related posts:

• Viavi Solutions Goes NITRO Over Automated Network Management
• Customers Want Internet of Solutions, Not Things
• Time Is Right for Telcos & Smart Homes

— Alison Diana, Editor, UBB2020. Follow us on Twitter @UBB2020 or @alisoncdiana.