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All West Partners With Novacap to Accelerate Broadband Growth

MONTREAL, Quebec and KAMAS, Utah, Jan. 10, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Novacap, a leading North American private markets firm, is pleased to announce that it has successfully closed its investment in All West Communications ("All West") alongside co-investors including Novo Holdings.

Headquartered in Kamas, Utah, All West is a fiber-based provider of data, video, and voice services to residential, commercial and carrier customers in Utah and Wyoming. Founded in 1912, All West has continued to evolve and adapt its broadband network to pursue its core mission: connecting people to what matters most.

"The continued transformation of All West into a leading broadband provider will benefit from the Novacap digital infrastructure playbook. This partnership will enable All West to continue its mission of providing fast, reliable, fiber-based local Internet services to its customers, including expansion into underserved communities,’’ commented Ted Mocarski, Senior Partner at Novacap and Head of Novacap Digital Infrastructure. "By increasing its footprint, enhancing its capabilities and ensuring rapid network deployment, All West is well positioned to help bridge the digital divide.”

"The demand for faster speeds, a wider range of services and pricing options is growing every day. This is an exciting partnership that will help us pursue significant growth opportunities. We’ve found the Novacap partners bring a wealth of expertise in both management and product." said Matt Weller, All West CEO. “We are very excited about working closely with Novacap as we enter new markets throughout the Mountain West region.”

Several members of Novacap Digital Infrastructure’s leadership have deep expertise from decades of experience as entrepreneurs, operators, and/or investors in the North American digital infrastructure sector. All West marks the 8th digital infrastructure investment by Novacap since 2011, and the first for its inaugural Digital Infrastructure Fund.

Advisors

Bank Street Group LLC served as exclusive financial advisor to Novacap in connection with this transaction.

Paul Hastings LLP and Baker Botts LLP served as legal counsel to Novacap.

Stifel served as exclusive financial advisor to All West in connection with this transaction.

Blackburn & Stoll, LC served as legal counsel to All West.

About Novacap

Founded in 1981, Novacap is a leading North American private equity firm with over C$8B of AUM that has invested in more than 100 platform companies and completed more than 150 add-on acquisitions. Applying its sector-focused approach since 2007 in Industries, TMT, Financial Services, and Digital Infrastructure, Novacap’s deep domain expertise can accelerate company growth and create long-term value. With experienced, dedicated investment and operations teams as well as substantial capital, Novacap has the resources and knowledge that help build world-class businesses. Novacap has offices in Montreal, Toronto, and New York.

For more information, please visit www.novacap.ca.

About All West Communications

Since 1912, All West Communications has provided leading-edge telecommunication services. Based in Kamas, Utah, they operate a broadband-powered network to deliver services that connect people and businesses to what matters most—across town and around the world. Their wired infrastructure and ongoing fiber investments that span from northern Utah to southwestern Wyoming provide customers with unparalleled broadband speeds, entertainment options, connectivity, and service. To learn more, visit www.allwest.com.

Media Inquiry

Yasmine Sardouk
ysardouk@novacap.ca
514-299-1669

Blog

3 Ways You Can Create Healthy Internet Habits

Hands holding phone over open laptop

Did you know the average American spends more than 7 hours looking at a screen every day? When was the last time you looked at your phone’s weekly screen time report? Was it higher or lower than you expected? You can spend a lot of time glued to a screen with internet-connected activities such as social media, TV streaming, gaming, and even working. Being online has become the norm for most people, which is why you should be taking the time to create healthy internet habits.

Limit Notifications

You can limit notifications in a few different ways to give yourself a break from the constant stream of distractions. Your phone’s “Do Not Disturb” settings allow you to choose when notifications can or cannot reach you. This is great for when you are trying to get work done or trying to spend time unplugged. On iPhones, you can schedule notification summaries. These are specific times in the day when you get a summary of all the notifications you received since the last summary. You choose what apps you want to include in the summary and what app notifications you want to receive immediately. You can even turn off push notifications for apps that aren't important or delete unnecessary apps, so you won't be bothered by them. Go through all the apps downloaded on your phone to decide what app notifications are important to you and what apps you don’t need anymore.

Designate Device-Free Zones

Setting device-free zones in your home can ensure your family spends time each day unplugged. This is important for both adults and children. When it seems impossible to escape technology, these zones of relaxation and recuperation encourage healthy internet and lifestyle habits. Device-free dinners allow everyone to talk to each other and share about their day without scrolling through social media. Family game nights also let you have fun and create memories without technology to distract you. Keeping smartphones, tablets and even TVs out of bedrooms helps promote healthy sleep habits, while also giving everyone a much-needed timeout from constant stimulation. The best thing to do is set device-free zones and times that make the best sense for your family.

Monitor Internet Use

One of the best ways you can create healthy internet habits is by monitoring internet use. As mentioned above, there are more than enough internet-connected activities to keep you in front of a screen for an excessive amount of time. Set age-appropriate internet limits for your family or set specific times for your Wi-Fi to be turned off. With the Plume Wi-Fi system, you can set internet freezes for specific times of day, for indefinite amounts of time or for custom timeouts on any profile or device. Just like with designated device-free zones, monitored internet use and timeouts allow your family to take breaks to participate in non-connected activities.

Good habits come with time! By practicing the healthy internet habits listed above (and so many more), you can take a timeout from the internet and connected devices. Always remember: The internet is a tool. Don’t let it take control of your life and always strive to have healthy internet habits.

To learn more, visit allwest.com.  

Blog

These Issues Might Be Affecting Your Internet Connection

couple looking at computer monitor confused

Does your internet feel slower than normal? Has it become frustrating to deal with an unstable connection? Fast, uninterrupted speeds are more important than ever with working from home, virtual school, streaming and so much more. As your demand for lightning-fast internet grows, check out some of the most common issues that can affect your connection. 

Not Enough Speed

If your internet speeds are constantly slowed down, you might not have the right plan for your household. Think of your internet as a water pipe. You might have had enough water moving through the pipeline previously. However, if you are using the internet more, it’s like turning on more faucets, and you may see less water pressure than usual. If that is the case, then it’s time to upgrade your internet plan. Unlike other internet service providers, All West’s internet plans include unlimited data without any data caps, so you won’t have to worry about data use causing outages or slow internet speeds.

(What Internet Speed is Right for You?)

Your Router and Its Location

Have you ever heard your router referred to as “the heart of your internet connection”? Your router plays a big part when it comes to your connection’s strength, speed and reliability. It is what sends wi-fi signals throughout your home. That’s why it’s important to choose a router that fits your needs. But it’s not just your router choice that matters – the location matters too. Walls, TVs, furniture and other objects can block the wireless signal from your router. To improve your connection, move your router to a more central location in your home. Doing this will help spread your wi-fi signal throughout your whole home, which can improve your connection.

(Router Placement and How It Can Make Your Internet Better)

Number of Connected Devices

The number of devices you have connected to your network might surprise you. From smart home devices to laptops and gaming systems, there might be more than you think. The more devices connected to your wi-fi network, the more your bandwidth is split among them. This is what causes slow speeds if you don’t have enough bandwidth for all the internet usage going on at a time. If too many devices are connected to the same network, it becomes overcrowded, and your devices compete against each other to connect to your router’s antenna. This results in buffering, slow speeds and latency. We suggest only keeping the most important devices connected or upgrading your speed to one that can handle them all.

(Are internet speed and bandwidth the same thing?)

Having a slow internet connection is annoying, and unfortunately, it can happen to any network at any time. When you have enough speed, a good router and keep an eye on the number of connected devices, you will be able to get the most out of your internet connection.

To learn more, visit allwest.com.  

Blog

What Internet Speed is Right for You?

mom, dad, and child sit on couch with laptop on lap open.

When it comes to online gaming, surfing the web and streaming All West.tv, you need to have the right internet speed. But how do you know what speed to choose? If you only surf the web, do you need 100 Mbps? If you want to watch your favorite shows on All West.tv, how many Mbps do you need? We’re here to answer all your questions about what internet is right for you, and more!

How Does the Available Infrastructure Affect Your Internet Speed?

Depending on where you live, there’s different infrastructure in place to get the internet into your home. The most common types are DSL, Coax and Fiber. Each of these creates a pipeline for your internet to move through. The more advanced the infrastructure, the greater your chances of reaching faster speeds.

The acronym Mbps stands for “megabits per second.” It is a measure of internet bandwidth that moves through the infrastructure. Bandwidth is the download and upload rate of your internet connection. The higher the Mbps is, the more you can do on your internet-connected device.

Your router is what talks to both All West’s modem and your internet connecting device. Having a router that is compatible with your wire infrastructure and Mbps helps your device get the fastest speeds possible. If your router is not designed for the internet you have, you won’t be able to reach your full speed potential.

(Are internet speed and bandwidth the same thing?)

General Internet Speed Recommendations

Having a fast internet connection depends on what you use the internet for at home, how many devices are using the internet at the same time, and how many Mbps you have from your service provider. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recommends minimum internet speeds of 12-25 Mbps for families with multiple internet users or frequent online streaming.

The FCC has defined broadband, or fast internet, as internet with download speeds of at least 25 Mbps and upload speeds of at least 3 Mbps since 2015. Download speeds of at least 25 Mbps accommodate many families’ needs, but the best download speeds and upload speeds for you depend on how you use the internet at home.

For example, let’s say you have a family of four, and nine devices split between them that include phones, laptops, iPads, and Smart TVs. When everyone is home at least six devices are being used at once for school, streaming TV, surfing the web or gaming. When you have that many devices in use, you need enough bandwidth to support them all. Distributing 25 Mbps six ways is about 4 Mbps allocated to each device. Just doing schoolwork on a laptop could use up to 25 Mbps, resulting in very slow internet, which is why All West offers a minimum of 100 Mbps. The more internet-connected devices you use, the more your speed is distributed amongst them.

(Internet vs. Wi-Fi)

What Internet Speed Do I Need?

Here’s a general rule of thumb on how to choose the correct speed for you:

100 Mbps300 Mbps1 Gig
AverageFastVery Fast
Stream on 1-4 devices Run multiple smart devices or appliances Download big files Attend video calls with minimal buffering Enjoy multiplayer gamingStream 4K on 5+ devices Run 5+ smart devices Download big files quickly Work from home Have 4-5 users connected at the same time with no slowdownStream Ultra HD on 8+ devices Run 10+ smart devices, including home security systems Download and upload large files at top speed Use the internet on multiple devices at the same time

Keep in mind that the plan you choose ultimately depends on the needs and devices of your home. You can take our SPEED ANALYZER to help you find out which speed works best for you.

Your speed matters! The internet speed you have sets the parameters of what you’re able to do online. By choosing the correct plan for your needs, you’ll be able to stream, game, work and surf the web without worrying about long loading times, buffering or an inconsistent connection.

To learn more, visit allwest.com.  

Community Connections

The Gift of Giving This Holiday Season

For the sixth consecutive year, All West Communications has been able to provide a monetary donation to give much-needed funds for local food banks in their service areas. This year, the following food banks will receive a combined donation of $5,000:

  • Bountiful Food Pantry, Bountiful, UT
  • Christian Center of Park City, Park City, UT
  • Community Action Services, Coalville, UT
  • Community Action Services, Oakley, UT
  • Food Bank of Sweetwater County, Green River, WY
  • Food Bank of Sweetwater County, Rock Springs, WY
  • Joyce Hansen Hall Food Bank, Ogden, UT
  • The Lord’s Storehouse, Evanston, WY
  • Tooele Community Resource Center, Tooele, UT
  • Weber Cares Pantry at Weber State University, Ogden, UT

All West believes in making a difference in the communities they serve. Their Community Connections program allows them to support local non-profit groups, community events, and neighbors. Each year, over $50,000 is given back to the community.

Since 2018, All West has been able to give back to the communities by providing funds to local food banks. They are happy to contribute to these food banks, as they are a vital part of the community. While resources are needed all year long, the start of the holiday season in November creates a greater need for donations. The donations will help each food bank be able to provide food and supplies in the spirit of the season of giving!

Kay Rossiter, director of The Lord’s Storehouse in Evanston, WY, expressed appreciation for All West’s continued support. “We are feeding 250 families a week right now and every dollar is being put to use,” stated Rossiter. In addition to helping families, pantry donations also help support the operation so it can stay open to the community.

This year, All West included the communities of Farmington, Tooele and Ogden, UT in their food bank donations. They are actively building their fiber network in each of the cities and wanted to show their gratitude to the residents. The Bountiful Food Pantry, serving residents of Farmington, believes in their mission to relieve hunger and increase self-sufficiency of Davis County residents living in need. The Tooele Community Resource Center provides food assistance, along with housing assistances and a thrift store in Tooele. “Your donation is so needed and appreciated,” expressed Food Bank and Resource Center Director, Christie Johnson.

The Weber Cares Pantry with the Center for Community Engaged Learning at Weber State University is very grateful for this generous donation from All West Communications. Financial donations such as this will be used to continue to stock the critical food and resource needs for students as we head into the holiday season. “Last year, we distributed over 21,000 pounds of food to over 2,000 visitors,” stated Teresa Martinez, Student Engagement Coordinator. The pantry heavily relies on private donations and donations from food banks. Waiting for these donations, however, leads to bare shelves due to the high demand of food from the students. Having the financial ability to go directly to the stores to buy food allows them to stock the pantry right away to meet needs while waiting for other donations to come in. “We are on track to exceed the number of visitors this year, which only increases our need for more donations to meet demand. We look forward to utilizing these generous funds in useful ways to continue to meet the food needs of our students,” said Martinez.

All West encourages their customers to find ways to give back to their communities this year. Here are a few ways to give back:

Volunteer:

Donate your time by volunteering with local organizations. Local non-profits, schools, shelters, senior centers and food banks are always looking for people willing to help their cause. Websites like Great NonProfits, Feeding America, JustServe and even local Facebook groups are great ways to find volunteer opportunities.

Act:

A random act of kindness can go a long way! You never know who around you needs help, or even a pick-me-up after a rough day at work. Consider shoveling your neighbor’s driveaway after a nighttime snowstorm or baking cookies for your coworker’s family. The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation provides free resources to help you make kindness the norm. 

Donate:

Physical and monetary donations are an effective way to help your community. Find out if your local food bank is accepting donations and what items they need the most. It’s as easy as adding a few extra cans of food to your shopping cart next time you get groceries. Thrift stores also take donations of new and gently used items. Don’t have any items to donate? A $10 donation is just as helpful to local organizations. Your gift will always make a difference!

Giving back helps aid, support and make a difference in community members’ lives. All West believes in supporting the communities they serve and help give back year-round through their Community Connections program.

We wish you a very Happy Holidays and a joyful New Year!

Events

2020 May Events

Due to the COVID-19 guidelines presented by the CDC, all May events have been postponed, but that doesn’t mean you can’t connect with friends and family through art and culture.

So, what can you do to stay connected? Technology can bring friends and family to you—wherever you are:

  • Use Google Photos to upload and share albums—and get the conversation going. It’s like the old-timey slideshows without the slide projector and sheet on the wall.
  • Get online and play a game. It can be as something as simple as Scrabble or faster-paced like Fortnite or Minecraft. Throw on a headset or use your computer speaker to talk with your teammates.
  • Chat face-to-face, remotely. There are almost as many video chat apps as there are people!
    • Check out the popular FaceTime, Facebook Messenger, Marco Polo or Skype. And these chats can more than just a conversation. Think about reading a bedtime story or singing a lullaby to your favorite little person faraway.
    • Plan a virtual get-together via Zoom or Microsoft Teams. Schedule a team lunch or coffee break. Plan a happy hour or dinner party with friends and don’t forget about birthday celebrations!
  • Exercise together through a virtual group Zumba, Yoga or other fitness class.
  • Social media can keep you up-to-date on what your friends and family are doing. It’s a great way to share videos and photos as well. Facebook even lets you set up private groups and create events—virtual or real. Make sure you follow All West for the latest news, updated and tech information.
  • Check out the popular Meet Up app to find groups based on your talents, skills, hobbies, likes, etc. Many have taken their groups online and found a way to keep the fun going.
  • Take an online class. You can find anything from learning a new language to carpentry and crocheting online. Keep it local by searching your area’s adult ed center or college to see what courses they might have available.
  • Enjoy a movie together. Netflix Party allows for group viewing and provides private chat rooms so you can interact with fellow viewers. You can even customize your party with fun user icons, nicknames, screenshots, emojis and GIFs.
  • Share your Spotify music collection with friends and family. Create a unique list for a special someone or host a dance party.

Need more speed so you can have more fun? Contact our internet experts to upgrade today at 866.255.9378.

Latest News

South Lincoln Medical Center Gets a Boost in Connectivity

All West Communications delivers 1 Gig and best-in-class phone solution

KAMAS, UTAH | February 27, 2020 – All West Communications is pleased to support South Lincoln Medical Center, Kemmerer, Wyoming with a Hosted VoIP and data solution that allows for greater operational flexibility, stability and efficiency.

South Lincoln Medical Center’s traditional premise-based phone system was outdated and due for a change. The phone system couldn’t provide them with the functionality they needed, nor could the malfunctioning phones be repaired or replaced. The Hosted VoiP solution through All West delivers leading-edge technology and can be tailored to the medical center’s growing needs. This solution also provides a cost savings, as there is no on-site equipment needed, save the more than 100 phones, and includes enhanced features such as hunt groups, 4-digit dialing, auto attendant and others. The 4-digit dialing feature was especially attractive to the medical center as they operate clinics in Evanston and Rock Springs, Wyoming as well. Low capital expenses, a generous pool of long distance and predictable billing all help to enhance the bottom line and operational efficiencies. The value-added web portal (CommPortal) allows for a better customer experience through a customized call flow and auto attendant.

The Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP) data solution provides monthly cost savings, a speed increase up to 1 Gig symmetrical and most importantly, a back-up to their current fiber service to create redundancy. This redundancy will allow operations—such as their phone system, computer systems, patient monitoring devices, security cameras and doors—to continue functioning should an internet connection drop or be interrupted.

All West not only delivered the products and services, but personalized training and support as well. South Lincoln Medical Center received assistance porting phone numbers from their premise-based system to the Hosted VoiP system and were assigned additional blocks of phone numbers to use as they grow. All West installed and tested the phones over several weeks to ensure the system was set up to the medical center’s needs. This personalized service continues today.

“From the consultation to the set-up, staff training and system adjustments, it was a team effort.”, Matt Weller, All West Communications President stated. “The porting process was time consuming, but the All West team was tenacious with South Lincoln Medical Center’s past providers to get the advertised numbers ported over to the new system. And the medical center’s administration was very helpful and accommodating prior to and during the install. I’m thankful for everyone’s efforts to see this project successfully executed.”

The hospital district’s CEO, Karl Sundberg, had this to say, “This new connectivity and phone system technology is just one way that South Lincoln Hospital District is transforming and modernizing to meet the needs of our community and region with healthcare services. All transitions of technology have growing pains, and with the tenacious support of our All West partner, coupled with an excellent IT and leadership team, we successfully transitioned the entire complex system within 60 days, and are now working to optimize the system and add functionality that was previously unavailable to us. Technology infrastructure is the backbone of the future of healthcare, and this new infrastructure allows us to expand telemedicine, integrate a tele-critical care system, develop new cloud based technology for clinical systems and drive better customer service and accessibility through our telephone system. Thank you, All West team!”
All West Communications is delighted to deliver these services to South Lincoln Medical Center and looks forward to a long partnership.

About All West Communications
Since 1912, All West Communications has provided leading-edge telecommunication services. Based in Kamas, Utah they operate a broadband-powered network to deliver services that connect people and businesses to what matters most—across town and around the world. Their wired infrastructure and ongoing fiber investments that span from northeastern Utah to southwestern Wyoming provide customers with unparalleled broadband speeds, entertainment options, connectivity and service. To learn more, visit www.allwest.com.

About South Lincoln Medical Center
South Lincoln Medical Center, located in Kemmerer, Wyoming has been designated a Critical Access Hospital, as defined by the Office of Rural Health Policy, part of the Health Resources & Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. South Lincoln Medical Center’s mission is to deliver extraordinary compassion, innovative healthcare, and customer service to our community, our patients, and each other, close to home. For more information, visit www.southlincolnmedical.com.

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