Calix Unleashes the First Gigabit Community Networks in Oregon and Michigan

RALEIGH, NC–(Marketwired – Dec 9, 2014) – Calix, Inc. (NYSE:CALX, news, filings) today announced that the city of Sandy, Oregon and the village of Sebewaing, Michigan have joined the growing ranks of “gigabit” communities who are deploying the Calix E7-2 Ethernet Service Access Platform (ESAP) to deliver broadband speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second (Gbps) to residential and business subscribers. These two communities also have the distinction of being the first to deliver gigabit services in their respective states, bringing the nation one step closer to meeting the FCC’s “Gigabit City Challenge” of at least one gigabit community in each of the 50 states by 2015. With these additions, Calix has enabled gigabit communities in 33 states. According to Teresa Mastrangelo, founder of Broadbandtrends LLC and author of the recently published survey “Gigabit Broadband Services Strategies & Vendor Rankings,” Calix has been the clear platform of choice for the majority of gigabit deployments in the U.S. and around the world.

SandyNet Fiber is the city of Sandy’s municipal broadband utility. After many years operating a wireless ISP, the city began construction of its fiber access network in May 2014 and has been offering gigabit services since September 2014. SandyNet Fiber plans to make symmetrical broadband speed packages of 1 Gbps and 100 megabits per second (Mbps) available to all of the city’s 10,000 residents, as well as advanced voice and video services. Residents of this city, sitting in the shadow of Mt. Hood just 25 miles east of Portland, will also be among the first in the world to enjoy a new “unleashed” gigabit lifestyle made possible through the Carrier-Class Wi-Fi enabled Calix 844G GigaCenters. These leading-edge premises service delivery platforms leverage the latest 802.11ac “wave 2” Wi-Fi technology with 4×4 Multi-User Multiple Input Multiple Output (MU-MIMO) to deliver wireless broadband coverage throughout the home at speeds previously only available over fiber.

“The launch of the SandyNet Fiber network is the culmination of years of effort to bring world class broadband to our community,” said Joe Knapp, IT director for the City of Sandy. “We had identified Calix as the most advanced solution for offering gigabit services and they have worked closely with us to bring our vision to reality. Our pioneering spirit reaches back to the days when wagon trains on the Oregon Trail used to pass through our town seeking opportunity in the West, and now we are pioneers again in being the first Oregon community to deliver gigabit broadband and the host of opportunities it offers to our citizens.”

Already known as the “Sugar Beet Capital,” Sebewaing, a village of 1800 people on Lake Huron’s Saginaw Bay, is now the “Gigabit Capital” of Michigan as the home of the first gigabit deployment in the state. Sebewaing Light and Water (SLW), which had previously operated a small wireless ISP, is now offering four tiers of broadband data services, peaking at gigabit speeds, as well as voice service to residential and business customers in conjunction with deployment partner Air Advantage.

“Our fiber-to-the-home project has moved along very quickly,” said Melanie McCoy, Sebewaing Light and Water Superintendent. “It took just over one year from the time we issued our first RFP to when we started turning up our first customers. We knew that citizens were craving higher speeds, but demand has exceeded our expectations.”

“When the FCC first announced their goal of a gigabit community in every state by the end of 2015, it seemed like an aggressive goal,” said John Colvin, Calix senior vice president of North American sales. “We, however, saw it as an opportunity for our customers to align their fiber aspirations with a national initiative. Sandy and Sebewaing are great examples of what we’ve now seen emerge in 33 states — communities that have embraced the promise of gigabit broadband and leveraged Calix platforms and expertise to make it happen. Congratulations to both SandyNet Fiber and SLW for bringing world-class gigabit networks and opportunities to their communities.”

To learn more about how Calix is helping communities to transform into gigabit cities of the future, visit Calix at the FTTH Council’s Regional Conference and Expo “From Gigabit Envy to Gigabit Deployed” this week in Raleigh, North Carolina.

About Calix
Calix (NYSE: CALX) is a global leader in access innovation. Its Unified Access portfolio of broadband communications access software, systems, and services enables communications service providers worldwide to transform their networks and become the broadband provider of choice to their subscribers. For more information, visit the Calix website at www.calix.com. For more information about Calix enabled gigabit networks, visit www.calix.com/gigabit/.

This press release may contain forward-looking statements that are based upon management’s current expectations and are inherently uncertain. Forward-looking statements are based upon information available to us as of the date of this release, and we assume no obligation to revise or update any such forward-looking statement to reflect any event or circumstance after the date of this release, except as required by law. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from current expectations based on risks and uncertainties affecting the Company’s business. The reader is cautioned not to unduly rely on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Additional information on potential factors that could affect Calix’s results and other risks and uncertainties are detailed in its reports on Form 10-Q for the third 2014 fiscal quarter and Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year 2013, filed with the SEC and available at www.sec.gov.