---
title: "#24 How Clearwater County Is Using Open Access to Bridge the Digital Divide"
description: Clearwater County is building an Open Access fiber network to deliver high-speed connectivity, enabling competition and protecting public value in rural Alberta.
image: https://insights.cossystems.com/hubfs/Advent%20Calendar%20496x300%2024.png
---

![](https://insights.cossystems.com/hubfs/Advent%20Calendar%20496x300%2024.png)

Clearwater County in west-central Alberta is building a county-owned Open Access fiber network to deliver reliable, high-speed connectivity across a large rural area—while enabling competition and protecting long-term public value.

Facing unreliable broadband and limited provider choice, the County adopted a multi-year Open Access strategy that separates infrastructure ownership from service delivery. The result: shared fiber infrastructure, multiple ISPs, and 24/7 operations without scaling County staff.

Working with Arcadis (Woven), Clearwater County secured substantial provincial and federal funding and is rolling out a phased FTTH deployment. At the core of the wholesale platform is COS Business Engine, which automates ISP onboarding, provisioning, settlements, and the branded customer portal marketplace.

Through a unique integration between COS Business Engine and Calix Cloud, the network delivers a consistent in-home Wi-Fi experience across providers—allowing residents to switch ISPs with zero touch, no truck rolls, and no disruption.

The project is now well underway, with backbone and last-mile construction progressing and the customer portal live for resident registration and ISP selection.

### 👉 Download the full case study to learn how Clearwater County combined public ownership, Open Access automation, and ecosystem partnerships to deliver affordable, future-proof broadband.

Want to learn more?

[ Download the Case Study ](https://share.hsforms.com/17XHfaxO_Tz-hzQkEVDEf8w1l3qo)

[ Reach out and learn more! ](https://www.cossystems.com/contact-us/)

 

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