In this episode of The Broadband Bunch, sponsored by ETI Software and VETRO FiberMap, Pete Pizzutillo catches up with Chris McKenzie, VP of Network Operations at Rapid Fiber, while at Calix ConneXions 2025. Chris shares his unconventional journey from the music industry to corporate IT to rural broadband, and how that experience shaped Rapid Fiber’s fast-moving deployment strategy. In just two years, the team has grown from zero to 7,000 subscribers while building out their entire network—staying a full quarter ahead of schedule. He explains why they rejected traditional demand aggregation and instead marketed fiber availability feeder-by-feeder, dramatically improving customer satisfaction and community engagement.
Chris also breaks down how AI is quickly becoming essential for small, efficient broadband teams. Rapid Fiber is using automation to reduce truck rolls, stay ahead of network issues, and keep subscriber experiences strong. He also highlights the value of Calix ConneXions, where operators gain direct access to industry leaders and emerging technologies. Tune in to learn how Rapid Fiber is scaling rural broadband with precision, creativity, and AI-driven operations.
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In this episode of The Broadband Bunch, sponsored by ETI Software and VETRO FiberMap, Pete Pizzutillo catches up with Chris McKenzie, VP of Network Operations at Rapid Fiber, while at Calix ConneXions 2025. Chris shares his unconventional journey from the music industry to corporate IT to rural broadband, and how that experience shaped Rapid Fiber’s fast-moving deployment strategy. In just two years, the team has grown from zero to 7,000 subscribers while building out their entire network—staying a full quarter ahead of schedule. He explains why they rejected traditional demand aggregation and instead marketed fiber availability feeder-by-feeder, dramatically improving customer satisfaction and community engagement.
Chris also breaks down how AI is quickly becoming essential for small, efficient broadband teams. Rapid Fiber is using automation to reduce truck rolls, stay ahead of network issues, and keep subscriber experiences strong. He also highlights the value of Calix ConneXions, where operators gain direct access to industry leaders and emerging technologies. Tune in to learn how Rapid Fiber is scaling rural broadband with precision, creativity, and AI-driven operations.
Episode 469: Bob Carrick on AI, Standards, and the Future of Calix Cloud
The Broadband Bunch
20 minutes 13 seconds
2 weeks ago
Episode 469: Bob Carrick on AI, Standards, and the Future of Calix Cloud
This episode of The Broadband Bunch was recorded live at Calix ConneXions 2025, where host Pete Pizzutillo sat down with Bob Carrick, Director of Global Strategy at Calix Cloud.
In this conversation, Bob walks through Calix’s cloud evolution—from its early managed Wi-Fi roots to today’s full-scale broadband platform that integrates Operations, Service, and Engagement Clouds. He shares how Calix’s latest innovations in AI and cloud migration to Google are redefining customer experience, network efficiency, and operational visibility for broadband providers.
Together, Pete and Bob unpack the challenges and opportunities of adopting AI in telecom—from eliminating data silos to building trust through human-in-the-loop models and agent-to-agent automation. They explore the role of industry standards (like TR-369 and MCP) in enabling interoperability, and how these frameworks will shape the next wave of AI-driven transformation across the broadband ecosystem.
Bob also discusses customer success stories, the importance of education and adoption, and how Calix is helping ISPs increase profitability, reduce truck rolls, and prepare for future M&A opportunities.
The Broadband Bunch
In this episode of The Broadband Bunch, sponsored by ETI Software and VETRO FiberMap, Pete Pizzutillo catches up with Chris McKenzie, VP of Network Operations at Rapid Fiber, while at Calix ConneXions 2025. Chris shares his unconventional journey from the music industry to corporate IT to rural broadband, and how that experience shaped Rapid Fiber’s fast-moving deployment strategy. In just two years, the team has grown from zero to 7,000 subscribers while building out their entire network—staying a full quarter ahead of schedule. He explains why they rejected traditional demand aggregation and instead marketed fiber availability feeder-by-feeder, dramatically improving customer satisfaction and community engagement.
Chris also breaks down how AI is quickly becoming essential for small, efficient broadband teams. Rapid Fiber is using automation to reduce truck rolls, stay ahead of network issues, and keep subscriber experiences strong. He also highlights the value of Calix ConneXions, where operators gain direct access to industry leaders and emerging technologies. Tune in to learn how Rapid Fiber is scaling rural broadband with precision, creativity, and AI-driven operations.
