Building Rural Fiber the Right Way: Partnership, Precision, and Customer Experience

Kevin Ancell, General Manager of Steelville Telephone Exchange (STEI), shares how partnering with Calix Professional Services enabled a flawless, on‑time fiber deployment across a highly rural service area. With expert project management, engineering, and implementation support, STEI was able to meet aggressive grant timelines without overburdening internal teams—while keeping customer experience front and center. The result was a true partnership that protected customer goodwill, accelerated deployment, and positioned STEI for long-term success as fiber expands to every home and business.