“That’s our purpose; to connect communities,” says Brad Moline president and CEO of Nebraska-based Broadband Service Provider, Allo Communications. Speaking at Calix’s ConneXions 2021, Moline explains how Allo’s fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network is foundational for creating gigabit societies in the communities they serve.
As background, Allo has grown from serving a single town in rural western Nebraska to offering FTTH with WiFi to 20+ communities in parts of Nebraska, Colorado, and Arizona. Its 50 to 60% market share, coupled with new developments from Calix around outside plant hardened routers and associated software/app enhancements, provides the potential for community WiFi networks via their existing FTTH backbone.
Moline envisions an array of applications, such as health, public safety, and education, that will operate over these networks. He is fervent in his desire to ensure that everyone is able to connect to the Internet. This manifests through Allo’s participation in the FCC’s Emergency Broadband Benefit Program, where Allo is serving 25% of the wireline EBB customers in Nebraska, which is much greater than their market share.
The possibilities of improving bringing educational and socialization opportunities for children who would otherwise be left behind are especially exciting to Moline. By adding outdoor WiFi routers to their fiber network, he envisions the expansion of their eduroam roaming agreement. This agreement essentially allows primary, secondary, and higher education institutions to extend their reach anywhere there is coverage.
Their efforts to connect their communities start with those organizations serving the community. Moline states that in Lincoln alone, Allo provides service free of charge to 81 or 82 non-profits. This reflects Allo’s approach of having a network and offering that is consistent across their service areas while providing a local team that is part of and that serves each community. As Moline says,
“Let the local people make you awesome, but then let the corporate make the product consistent and world-class.”
Interview Highlights:
00:36 – Moline explains how Allo’s fiber and hosted WiFi network have positioned them to create a “gigabit society” in the communities they serve.
02:56 – The creation of a virtual school presents a different type of packaging opportunity that allows an operator to differentiate beyond price.
03:59 – Moline sees the EBB program as a way for them to reach people that otherwise would not see the benefits of broadband. As such Allo has been intentional in its outreach. Note the video includes some visuals of some of Allo’s promotions for the EBB program.
05:44 – Allo has always provided free service to non-profits. This paid off in the promotion of the EBB program, as the non-profits proved valuable partners in getting out the word.
08:13 – By employing a franchise-type model, Allo has been able to keep the local touch as they expand to new communities.
Watch part 2 of this interview here.
This video was made possible by Calix.