Goodbye, Digital Dangers: How Broadband "Experience” Providers Can Keep Their Communities Safe

Security is a lynchpin underpinning all of your subscriber experience efforts. If you cannot create a safe online experience, from the hardware to the software and services you provide, you are putting your subscribers' trust in you at risk. 
 

And trust is everything.
 

There are two areas for BSPs to evaluate security when it comes to their broadband solutions: in the product ecosystem and in the end user delivery. While these may seem similar, they are distinct areas of your offering and require different considerations. 

Building Security Into the Product Lifecycle—From Equipment to the Cloud

From infrastructure backbone to the premises, you deploy both hardware and software to deliver service to your broadband subscribers. It’s critical that your entire end-to-end network is protected from security breaches and other threats. 
 

Threats can enter both equipment and cloud-based software via “back doors.” For example, if a router is made in a country that requires access to it, state-led efforts can infiltrate that hardware at their will.
 

To ensure that you are delivering on your promise to your subscribers that they are kept safe, it’s wise to understand the security policies of the vendors and partners you work with. Calix is committed to a “Security By Design” approach, ensuring that we continually monitor, assess, and respond to security concerns throughout the entire lifecycle of our hardware and software products. Our 91-day release cadence also creates an ongoing loop of security enhancements, keeping your systems up-to-date and constantly improved. Not only that, but Calix continues to innovate and provide additional safety focused solutions as part of the SmartLife™ portfolio– keeping you ahead of the needs and demands of your subscribers and differentiating you in the market.
 

Building Security Into the Subscriber Experience—How Managed Services are Designed to Protect the Entire Community

Additionally, SmartLife managed services ensure you can deliver solutions designed to connect and protect your community—from residential to commercial and beyond. These solutions are all delivered using the same hardware and software that we rigorously test—so you are in good hands all the way down to the subscriber experience. 
 

 Here are a few examples of managed services you can offer to secure your communities, deliver differentiated value, and turn you into an “experience” provider rather than a broadband service provider:

• Defend against cybersecurity threats for the home network with ProtectIQ®. With a multi-layered approach to detect and mitigate threats, ProtectIQ protects against malware, intrusions, and other cyberattacks. 

• Put control of the home network into your subscriber’s hands with ExperienceIQ®. Features like device prioritization, parental controls, and network usage monitoring help create safer, more controlled online environments for families and other internet users.  

• Keep kids safe with social media and content monitoring from Bark. Bark can monitor content, texts, apps, and websites for issues like bullying, innapropriate content, and warning signs of self-harm. Parents can also track locations and manage screen time. 

• Offer subscribers a fully integrated, watchful eye with Arlo connected cameras. Offering connected cameras can help BSPs protect their homes property-wide. With Arlo Secure, subscribers can monitor their surroundings for an added layer of security—and it’s integrated right into Calix Cloud. 

• Confidently offer tailor-made security for small businesses and multi-dwelling units (MDUs). Commercial and mixed residential spaces like MDUs require more complex layers of security, including separate networks and multiple user logins. SmartBiz™ and SmartMDU™ are designed especially for the delivery of safe and secure connectivity into these non-residential spaces. 

Combine Your Security Efforts To Ensure the Top Protection for You and Your Subscribers

It’s no longer enough to simply provide broadband—you must go beyond and offer exceptional subscriber experiences. Today’s internet users are seeking more from every angle: curated service offerings to fit their lifestyles, thoughtful managed services to simplify and delight, and connectivity that extends beyond reliability or speed. As more personalization rolls out in technology and the way people navigate it, subscribers expect their provider to “just get it.”
 

That’s why it’s time to pivot from merely providing a service to delivering a holistic experience. After all, people don’t remember all the specs of what you do—they remember how it makes them feel. 
 

And security is critical to making subscribers feel positive about their experiences with you—whether it’s by safeguarding their equipment and your cloud products or via delivering security-centric managed services. Partnering with Calix enables you to deliver protection end-to-end and elevate every subscriber’s experience throughout your entire community. 
 

Ready to learn more about safeguarding against cybersecurity threats with Calix? Let’s discuss your security position today.