Calix Honors Conexon With Inaugural “Partner of the Year” Innovations Award for Dedicated Pursuit of Broadband Business Development

Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX) today announced rural fiber optic network design and construction management leader Conexon as the recipient of the 2020 Innovations Award for “Partner of the Year” at ConneXions 2020. Conexon formally joined the Calix Partner Community as the founding member of the consulting engineering category in August and has since been named the first Elite Consulting Partner. The relationship between the companies dates to 2017, a few years after Conexon was founded. Calix gives its Innovations Awards annually to Calix customers and partners using Calix solutions to deliver the ultimate subscriber experience, build future-proof broadband businesses, and become industry leaders. The “Partner of the Year” award honors excellence among the expanding Calix Partner Community and recognizes partners driving innovations through successful collaborations with Calix customers. Calix and Conexon share more than 40 electric cooperative clients deploying fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) networks across the U.S. and 120 more in varying stages of planning.

Conexon is a leader in the end-to-end solutions—design, build, fund, and support—that enable electric cooperatives to bring affordable, world-class fiber internet to the communities and members they serve.

Just as rural utility providers did nearly a century ago with electricity, these rural cooperatives are stepping up to deliver a critical service that ensures the vitality of the member communities they serve. Currently more than a quarter of the 800-plus electric cooperatives serving rural areas of the U.S. are deploying broadband services. With the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) auction collectively representing more than $20 billion dollars to be awarded over the next 10 years to fund rural broadband projects, that number is increasing.

“Electric cooperatives are playing a critical role in saving rural America by addressing the digital divide,” said Randy Klindt, partner for Conexon. “Successful execution requires expertise from outside their organizations, in a variety of areas. When we engage with a customer stepping up to serve its community, we know Calix provides the unmatched industry know-how and the best-of-breed solutions it takes to make the broadband business a reality. We are thrilled to be recognized by Calix with this award, and we look forward to more collaborative efforts cemented in our shared vision to get rural communities connected and help more service providers build future-proof FTTH businesses.”