Allstream provides managed IP communications, fiber connectivity, and unified communications to North American enterprises through a high-touch service model.
Allstream provides managed IP communications, fiber connectivity, and unified communications to North American enterprises through a high-touch service model.
Allstream is a leading North American communications solutions provider with a history spanning over 170 years. Originally rooted in the Canadian telecommunications landscape, the company has evolved into a powerhouse for managed IP communications, serving a broad range of business customers across the United States and Canada. Allstream’s core business focus is providing large-scale enterprises and mid-market companies with the connectivity and collaboration tools necessary to compete in a digital-first economy.
The company’s service portfolio is extensive, covering three primary pillars:
Connectivity: High-speed fiber internet, private networking (MPLS), and wavelength services that provide the foundational infrastructure for modern business operations.
Unified Communications: Cloud-based voice, video conferencing, and collaboration suites including UCaaS and Microsoft Teams integration.
Managed Services: SD-WAN, security solutions, and managed IT services designed to optimize network performance and protect corporate data.
Following its acquisition by Zayo Group in 2016 and subsequent transition to Electric Lightwave/Allstream, the company has solidified its position as a specialized alternative to incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs). Allstream targets organizations that require complex, multi-site deployments—such as those in finance, healthcare, and retail—where reliability and professional support are paramount. With a vast fiber footprint and a focus on "smarter" connectivity, Allstream continues to invest in network automation and software-defined technologies to meet the increasing bandwidth demands of cloud-centric enterprises.
Company Differentiation
What distinguishes Allstream as an organization is its "human-scale" approach to enterprise-grade telecommunications. Unlike massive, legacy carriers where customers often feel like a number in a vast system, Allstream emphasizes a high-touch customer success model. Their business philosophy centers on the idea of being "big enough to deliver, small enough to care," maintaining a nimble corporate culture that allows for faster decision-making and more personalized service level agreements (SLAs).
Allstream’s business model is built on long-term partnerships rather than transactional sales. This is reflected in their proactive account management and a technical support structure that provides direct access to experts rather than tiered, scripted call centers. Their culture values transparency and accountability, which is particularly vital in the connectivity space where uptime is critical to business continuity. By focusing on the North American market specifically, they have cultivated a deep understanding of regional regulatory landscapes and infrastructure challenges, allowing them to provide more tailored advice and solutions than global conglomerates. This commitment to being a responsive, reliable partner defines their identity beyond their physical network assets.
Allstream’s offerings are categorized into three main segments:
Connectivity Solutions: Includes Business Internet (Fiber/Coax), Ethernet Services (E-Line, E-LAN), Wavelength, and Managed SD-WAN. These are differentiated by bandwidth (10Mbps to 100Gbps) and the level of managed intelligence at the edge.
Voice & Collaboration: Includes UCaaS (Allstream Max), Cloud Connect for Microsoft Teams, and SIP Trunking.
Basic Tier:* Standard voice features and voicemail.
Collaboration Tier:* Adds video, chat, and mobile app integration.
Enterprise Tier:* Includes advanced analytics, CRM integration, and call center features.
Managed Services: Includes Managed Firewall, DDoS Mitigation, and Managed Router services, providing a "hands-off" experience for IT teams.
Product Differentiation
Allstream’s product portfolio is distinguished by its seamless integration of legacy infrastructure with next-generation cloud services. While many providers force a "rip and replace" philosophy, Allstream offers a bridge for enterprises through robust SIP Trunking and Hosted Collaboration Solutions (HCS) that allow businesses to transition to the cloud at their own pace.
A key technical advantage is their privately owned, high-performance fiber network that spans North America. This infrastructure allows them to offer end-to-end Quality of Service (QoS) for voice and data traffic, which is often lost when using over-the-top (OTT) providers. Their Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) offerings, powered by industry leaders like Mitel and Cisco, are integrated directly into their network backbone to ensure superior clarity and reliability.
Furthermore, Allstream differentiates itself through its managed services layer. They don't just provide the "pipe"; they offer managed security, SD-WAN, and professional services that offload the operational burden from internal IT teams. Their SD-WAN solution is particularly innovative for its ability to aggregate multiple connection types while providing deep packet inspection and application-level visibility, ensuring that mission-critical business applications always receive priority bandwidth. This combination of physical network ownership and advanced software-defined overlays creates a more resilient and visible communication environment for the end user.
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