New Telephone Service Entering Scottsbluff Area
February 3, 2005

Allo Communications, based out of Imperial, announced Wednesday plans to expand its local and long distance telephone service into Scottsbluff.

Allo Communications is owned by Bradley Moline and Russ Pankonin, both natives of Nebraska, and residents of Imperial (Nebraska).

Moline said that while everything is still in the preliminary stages, a target startup date for areas of Scottsbluff and Gering would be June or July (2005).

"What we're looking at is a fiber overbuild of Scottsbluff and Gering over phases," said Moline.

Once operational, the company will offer local and long distance services along with high-speed Internet broadband service.

Moline said future offerings would include expanded bandwidth for video conferencing, datatransference, and interconnection with offices.

On Wednesday, Gov. Dave Heineman announced Allo was one of three companies that would receive Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding to assist with business expansions.

Of the $293,000 awarded to the City of Imperial, Allo Communications will borrow $288,000 to support the company's expansion, which includes 11 new full-time sales and customer service positions and four new full-time network support jobs.

Imperial will use the remaining $5,000 for loan-related administrative costs.

Moline said after looking at a number of markets, the valley was chosen.

"Scottsbluff and Gering offered the most opportunity and because there is currently a lack of options for telephone service."

"This will give people a choice," he said.

The company has been in operations for three years and currently employs 10 people in Imperial.

The company currently has a number of customers in the Panhandle, according to Pankonin. Some of the largest customer base is located in Alliance, Chadron, Crawford, Sidney and Bridgeport.

"We have a significant presence in communities with a 308 area code," said Pankonin.

He said they have been working on this for over a year and look at it as the first of hopefully many expansions.

To learn more about the company, log on to their web site at www.allphone.net.