Changing the Narrative: Silver Star’s Privately Owned Open‑Access Fiber Networks

Barbara Sessions, President of Silver Star Communications, explains why her team is building privately owned open‑access fiber networks in Jackson, Wyoming, and Rexburg, Idaho—offering a model that doesn’t rely on taxpayer funding while still enabling multiple ISPs to serve residents over a single network. She shares the real-world challenges of making open access work—educating communities, ensuring the business model is profitable, and deploying the technical backend needed to support multiple providers. With Calix as a long-time partner, Silver Star is focused on delivering a seamless operator and end-user experience, including the visibility and workflows needed to scale reliably.