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Bridging the Digital Divide in Croydon, UT
January 7, 2025
On July 8, Lisa Barnes, customer service representative, in our Rock Springs’ office was honored by the Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce with an “Excellence in Customer Service” award. According to Rick Lee, CEO, Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce, “The goal of the “Excellence in Customer Service” award is to acknowledge the unique attributes of front-end workers--the people who visitors and locals interact with in businesses across the area. It honors those whom we believe portray positive representations of our community.”
Lisa’s nomination was exceptional, and the decision to award her this recognition was unanimous. What stood out the most was that she was recognized by upper management from her corporate office who offered specific details about Lisa’s strengths—from her infectious smile to her never wavering positive attitude. Lisa is a real attribute to the All West team and we feel lucky to have her. Congratulations, Lisa!
Networks charge local TV providers, like All West, fees to carry channels, and these fees continue to increase each year. And in 2018, these price increases are some of the highest we have ever seen.
Notably, while we have had to drop content to keep our price steady, All West Communications has not passed along a rate increase to our customers since 2014.
To help provide some context, the following information was taken from a December 22, 2017 Variety article which demonstrates the annual increases that other companies are passing along to their consumers:
- Comcast is hiking monthly rates for most bundles about $5/mo.
- Dish is raising rates as of January 16, 2018, with most programming packages set to increase by $3 per month in addition to a $2 monthly increase for local channels.
- DirecTV's Select package will go up $2 per month, while Entertainment is increasing $3; Choice will be $4 higher; Xtra will rise $7; and Ultimate and Premier tiers will increase by $8/mo.
- Charter bundles will see an increase of $10.
- Cox Communications, meanwhile, will raise rates January 7, with increases of 2.5%-6% depending on service package.
Many customers, due to the increasing rates, start to ask about buying "only the channels they watch" or a-la-carte TV. Here is just one example of what that might look like:
- HBO Direct: $14.99
- CBS All Access: $5.99
If we use these two channels as examples, we could assume that individual channels might be priced direct to a customer somewhere between $6 and $15 per channel. So, if there are ten channels you really care about and watch, you could potentially spend somewhere between $60 - $150 - just to get those ten channels. By bundling channels together, the networks provide better pricing through the traditional TV package model.
All West strives to provide you with the content you want at a price you can afford. And while not all costs are within our control, we work hard to limit the increases we have to pass on to you.
On September 7, All West was honored as one of the two business recipients of the 2018 Bill Daniels Utah Ethical Leadership Awards.
To be considered for these awards, applicants are required to complete several essay questions pertaining to the Daniels Fund Ethics Initiatiatve Principles. Those principles include:
- Integrity – Act with honesty in all situations
- Trust – Build trust in all stakeholder relationships
- Accountability – Accept responsibility for all decisions
- Transparency – Maintain open and truthful communications
- Fairness – Engage in fair competition and create equitable and just relationships
- Respect – Honor the rights, freedoms, views and property of others
- Rule of Law – Comply with the spirit and intent of laws and regulations
- Viability – Create long-term value for all relevant stakeholders
"We are honored to be recognized as a company that places ethics as a priority. In today's world, honesty and respect are not always the norm, but we believe those principles are crucial to any business's success," states All West President, Matt Weller. "And we work very hard to be transparent with our employees, customers and stakeholders and take accountability when we've made a mistake."
For more details about this award, check out this Utah Business magazine article.
The NCTC (National Cable Television Cooperative) represents more than 750 small and mid-size U.S. independent cable operators and acts as a programming and hardware purchasing organization for its member companies. And NCTC is actively engaged in helping network providers and suppliers evolve their business models to deploy new video/data solutions to match the changes in the media landscape.
In that, Mr. Weller's appointment provides All West with the opportunity to drive discussions regarding broadband's and cable television's future and vote on policies affecting their customers.
"The NCTC Board of Directors is an incredibly productive and motivated group of leaders dedicated to helping cable operators of all sizes offer new ways for their customers to enjoy information and entertainment. I'm ready to roll up my sleeves to start contributing to that effort," stated Matt Weller, President, All West Communications.
It is a great honor and privilege to be included on such an influential industry board. To read more about the NCTC and the full press release, click here.
All West Communications will be closing the Green River Office effective Tuesday, July 10, 2018.
After acquiring the building in Green River and operating for almost a year, All West determined that this location would not meet the long-term operational needs for this area.
Matthew Weller, President of All West Communications, stated; "We have come to realize that this location would not allow us to do the things that we have planned in the Green River area. We have purchased a new property that we will develop but have decided to focus our initial investments into the plant delivering services to our customers to provide a great customer experience. This fall we will begin major upgrades to be able to provide faster Internet speeds and a new TV service. Our walk-in office in Rock Springs will remain open, and customers can continue to reach us via phone or through email and use our website for payments or issues."
As always, All West Communications believes in delivering the best possible service to our customers and will work to make this transition as smooth as possible. Contact us at any time if you have concerns about your service quality or experience with All West. We look forward to being your partner for many years to come.
