YK Communications and Calix University Grow a Competitive Workforce That Wins on Broadband Experiences

Leveraging a specialized program from Calix University, YK Communications is rapidly transforming their workforce to succeed as a broadband experience provider—shaping future leaders while equipping teams with competitive sales and go-to-market strategies

Today, Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX) announced that Texas-based YK Communications is partnering with Calix University to train and build a competitive workforce on their journey to become a broadband experience provider (BXP). Calix University, from the award-winning Calix Success team, is transforming broadband workforces by offering specialized training programs that enhance employee expertise and build new skills. Guided by Calix University’s team, YK increased employee course enrollment by 6X in 90 days—fostering team autonomy, sales and marketing expertise, leadership development, and community outreach.

Calix is committed to developing leadership in the broadband industry. With nearly one-third of the industry’s workforce expected to leave or retire within the next decade, Calix University is innovating its programs to help broadband service providers (BSPs) develop future leaders. Calix University is the only comprehensive broadband education platform that helps BSPs become BXPs. It offers a wide range of educational opportunities, including e-learning, virtual instructor-led courses, and in-person classes. Topics span broadband basics, customer experience, workforce transformation, managed services like Calix SmartLife™, cybersecurity awareness, and more. To meet diverse business needs, Calix University offers flexible education bundles as well as curricula open to all customers. It also partners with community and technical colleges to inspire the next generation of industry leaders.

Their partnership with Calix University is the latest demonstration of how YK embraces the BXP mindset. Recently, Jackie Fowler, director of sales and customer relations at YK, shared her expertise as a featured leader in Calix University, further reinforcing their position in broadband innovation. For over a decade, YK has worked with Calix, transforming their go-to-market strategy to center around exceptional subscriber experiences. Consistently outperforming the telecommunications industry’s average Net Promoter Score℠ (NPS®) in the 30s, YK now boasts an impressive score of 92—driven by early adoption of value-based offers like the “Family Guardian” plan. This offer includes managed services like ExperienceIQ® advanced network controls, ProtectIQ® cybersecurity, Bark social media monitoring, and Arlo Secure connected property cameras.

“With ongoing commoditization in our industry and an aging workforce, every broadband business is at a crossroads,” said Russell Kacer, president at YK Communications. “For any general manager, the key differentiator is your team and experiences. To quickly adapt, we teamed up with Calix to transform our workforce. Working side-by-side with the Calix team to develop a specialized playbook, our employees love how Calix University streamlines learning—earning an outstanding 4.92 out of 5 satisfaction score. To keep us ahead of the curve, we continue to invest in our future with Calix innovation, ensuring our South Texas communities receive even greater value that transcends speed and price.”

“At Calix, we see customer experience as an ongoing journey—not a destination,” said John Durocher, chief customer officer at Calix. “Russell is a great example of someone who embraces that mindset. As YK Communications continues to transform their business and focus on experiences rather than price or speed, they know their teams will need to develop new skills and strategies to succeed. We have been thrilled with the results of their collaboration with Calix University. We will continue to innovate Success programs and help our customers develop the next generation of leaders for the broadband industry.”

Explore Calix University, a learning platform dedicated to advancing the future broadband workforce.

About Calix

Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX)—Calix is a platform, cloud, and managed services company. Broadband service providers leverage Calix’s broadband platform, cloud, and managed services to simplify their operations, subscriber engagement, and services; innovate for their consumer, business, and municipal subscribers; and grow their value for members, investors, and the communities they serve.

Our end-to-end platform and managed services democratize the use of data—enabling our customers of any size 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.

This press release contains 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 Calix’s business. The reader is cautioned not to 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 quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC and available at www.sec.gov.

Calix and the Calix logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Calix and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. A listing of Calix’s trademarks can be found at https://www.calix.com/legal/trademarks.html. Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

Net Promoter®, NPS®, NPS Prism®, and the NPS-related emoticons are registered trademarks of Bain & Company, Inc., Satmetrix Systems, Inc., and Fred Reichheld. Net Promoter Score℠ and Net Promoter System℠ are service marks of Bain & Company, Inc., Satmetrix Systems, Inc., and Fred Reichheld.

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“With ongoing commoditization in our industry and an aging workforce, every broadband business is at a crossroads,” said Russell Kacer, president at YK Communications.