Allo Communications' 20 Years of Growth and New Opportunities from Government Funding

 Nebraska-based Allo Communications, a competitive provider that serves urban and rural areas, has seen strong growth over the 20 years since its founding. Allo CEO Brad Moline talks about the many rounds of investment the company has received—from his own pocket to private equity. “It’s such a capital-intensive industry that you just go through evolutions of investors,” said Moline. “I just try to run a perpetual business and as investors want to come in, or go out, or invest more, we can look at it and accommodate them,” he added. “It isn’t just them investing, there are also debt arrangements and the like, so you end up with a group of stakeholders that are extremely valuable to your long-term growth.” In addition to having access to its investors’ capital, Allo is looking at, and winning, government grants. The company won $11 million of the $61 million the state of Nebraska awarded to broadband service providers in the fall of 2022 to bring broadband to Nebraskans most in need of it. Moline also expects to be involved in the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program—and he sees opportunities beyond simply winning funding.