Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about COS Systems and fiber network software.
What does COS Systems do?
+
COS Systems provides software for fiber network operators, covering the full network lifecycle from demand discovery and build planning through to subscriber management, billing, wholesale operations, and field execution. COS is purpose-built for open access, wholesale, and municipal broadband business models.
What products does COS Systems offer?
+
COS Systems offers four products: COS Business Engine (BSS/OSS for retail fiber operators), COS Wholesale Engine (wholesale billing and operations for open access networks), COS FSM (field service management for fiber installation and maintenance), and COS Prospector (demand aggregation and network expansion planning).
What is an open access fiber network?
+
An open access fiber network is infrastructure owned by one entity — typically a municipality, utility, or neutral host — that multiple competing ISPs can use to deliver services to subscribers. The network owner provides the physical layer; ISPs compete on service, price, and customer experience. COS Systems specializes in software for operating and monetizing this model.
What software do open access fiber networks use?
+
Open access fiber networks typically require software that can manage multiple ISPs on shared infrastructure, handle wholesale billing between the network owner and service providers, automate subscriber provisioning per ISP, and produce clean revenue reporting. COS Wholesale Engine is designed specifically for this use case.
How do fiber operators manage field service and installations?
+
Fiber operators use field service management (FSM) software to schedule technicians, dispatch crews, manage work orders, and handle customer appointment booking. COS FSM provides skill-based scheduling, self-service appointment booking for subscribers, and route optimization for technicians — and integrates directly with COS Business Engine so that a completed order triggers a scheduled installation automatically.
How does wholesale billing work for open access networks?
+
In a wholesale open access model, the infrastructure owner charges ISPs for access to the network, while ISPs bill their own subscribers separately. COS Wholesale Engine automates this by tracking usage per ISP, generating wholesale invoices, and keeping billing and reporting clean across multiple service providers — without requiring ISPs to replace their own BSS/OSS systems.
What is the difference between COS Business Engine and COS Wholesale Engine?
+
COS Business Engine is for operators who serve subscribers directly as a retail ISP — it handles the full customer lifecycle including CRM, marketplace, provisioning, billing, and support. COS Wholesale Engine is for operators who own the infrastructure and wholesale access to multiple ISPs — it manages ISP onboarding, wholesale billing, and multi-provider operations. Both can be combined for operators running hybrid retail and wholesale models.
Can COS FSM be used independently, or does it require COS Business Engine?
+
COS FSM can be deployed as a standalone field service management platform or integrated with COS Business Engine or COS Wholesale Engine. In standalone mode it manages scheduling, dispatch, and work orders. When integrated with Business Engine, it creates a zero-touch flow from customer sign-up to completed installation with no manual handoff.
What types of operators does COS Systems serve?
+
COS Systems serves fiber network operators including municipal and utility fiber providers, regional and community ISPs, open access infrastructure owners, wholesale fiber carriers, and operators managing hybrid retail and wholesale business models.
How does COS Prospector support network expansion?
+
COS Prospector gives operators address-level demand intelligence to prioritize where to build. Sales teams and field staff can qualify addresses, check build zones, and sign up customers on the spot. When combined with COS FSM, a new subscriber can have an installation scheduled at the point of sale — connecting demand aggregation directly to deployment.
