Various methods and proprietary digital signaling protocols were used by different manufacturers in first generation ALE, leading to incompatibility. Later, a cooperative effort among manufacturers and the US government resulted in a second generation of ALE that included the features of first generation systems, while improving performance. The second generation 2G ALE system standard in 1986, MIL-STD-188-141A, was adopted in FED-STD-1045 for US federal entities. In the 1980s, military and other entities of the US government began installing early ALE units, using ALE controller products built primarily by US companies. The primary application during the first 10 years of ALE use was government and military radio systems, and the limited customer base combined with the necessity to adhere to MILSPEC standards kept prices extremely high. Over time, demand for ALE capabilities spread and by the late 1990s, most new government HF radios purchased were designed to meet at least the minimum ALE interoperability standard, making them eligible for use with standard ALE node gear. Radios implementing at least minimum ALE node functionality as an option internal to the radio became more common and significantly more affordable. As the standards were adopted by other governments worldwide, more manufacturers produced competitively priced HF radios to meet this demand. The need to interoperate with government organizations prompted many non-government organizations (NGOs) to at least partially adopt ALE standards for communication. As non-military experience spread and prices came down, other civilian entities started using 2G ALE. By the year 2000, there were enough civilian and government organizations worldwide using ALE that it became a de facto HF interoperability standard for situations where a priori channel and address coordination is possible.