CL Tel deploys Bark on the Calix broadband platform in their northern Iowa communities to ensure safer internet experiences for local youth, engaging with a nonprofit, law enforcement, industry associations, and community leaders to educate broadband peers and parents on how they can help
SAN JOSE, CA—January 24, 2024—Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX) today announced that telecommunications service provider CL Tel leveraged the Calix broadband platform to deploy Bark and support the fight against cyberbullying and other online dangers in their Iowa communities. CL Tel has delivered critical technology innovation to their northern Iowa communities for 125 years. Today, that commitment extends to providing safe and secure internet experiences, especially for local youth.
Bark is a managed service integrated for the Calix platform. The tool actively monitors social media, texts, emails, and over 30 apps, providing real-time alerts to parents and guardians about online dangers to enable immediate intervention.
“We have a responsibility as internet providers to ensure our communities have access to the tools they need to keep everyone, but especially children, safe from online dangers,” said Chris Lovell, chief operating officer at CL Tel. “Bark is recognized as an essential tool to help parents and caregivers protect their children online. Its integration on the Calix platform made it possible for us to offer this critical tool to our communities.”
CL Tel efficiently launched Bark in just 10 weeks by leveraging the Calix Smart Start for Managed Services program from the award-winning Calix Customer Success Services team. Together, they developed a strategic launch playbook that rallied both their organization and the community. Launch activities included community safety initiatives, in-person events, and working with local law enforcement and community leaders to elevate public awareness of available tools.
CL Tel has also partnered with the nonprofit Guardian Group to create Operation IFAST (ISPs Fighting Against Sex Trafficking)—an initiative that unifies industry peers in this fight. According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, there have been more than 600 cases of human trafficking in Iowa since 2007. The internet is the most common place where human trafficking victims are recruited and exploited. CL Tel and Guardian Group are working with state and national telecommunications associations to scale Operation IFAST.
“Bark launch support from the Smart Start for Managed Services team allowed us to focus on community education and engagement,” said Lovell. “Cloud insights helped us identify northern Iowans who need Bark most. As a broadband provider, we strongly believe in giving back to the communities we serve, and Calix innovation is a vital part of the value we deliver.”
Insights from Calix Engagement Cloud enabled CL Tel to recognize families who would benefit most from Bark and help determine the most effective way to share information with them. This targeted approach led to the use of community billboards and social media advertising as primary methods to educate parents about available tools.
“CL Tel is deeply invested in their communities and continues to make good on a 125-year-old promise to enhance life in northern Iowa,” said Michael Weening, president and chief executive officer at Calix. “Kids today need greater protection from the dangers that the internet exposes them to. We are proud to see how the CL Tel team has used the launch of Bark to engage with their community. The Calix platform makes the deployment of managed services like Bark simple and easy for the CL Tel team, so they can continue to focus on initiatives that make a deep and lasting impact on their subscribers and community.”
About Calix
Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX)—Broadband service providers of all sizes leverage the Calix platform and teams to simplify their business and excite their subscribers to grow the value of their business and for their communities for generations. The democratizing power of the platform and portfolio of managed services enables them to operate efficiently, acquire subscribers, and deliver exceptional experiences. Calix is dedicated to driving continuous improvement in partnership with our growing ecosystem to support the transformation of our customers and their communities.
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