Blackfoot Communications: Bridging the Digital Divide with Broadband Expansion and Community Investment
In celebration of its 70th anniversary, Blackfoot Communications, a member-owned company based in Missoula, recently held an annual meeting with its shareholders. The focus of the event was on community, connectivity, and cooperation.
During the meeting, Blackfoot Communications Board President Tom Eggensperger highlighted the importance of the cooperative to Western Montana. He emphasized how access to broadband is crucial today and how the company is working to expand its footprint to bridge the digital divide. Before the cooperative was formed in 1954, rural residents lacked telephone service.
CEO Jason Williams also spoke at the event and emphasized the essential role that broadband plays in education, business, personal life, and the economy. He announced that Blackfoot Communications is investing over $200 million to ensure everyone is connected across their 7,000 square foot footprint. They are using federal and state grants as well as their own capital to make this investment.
Cooperatives nationwide are expanding their digital footprints by adding broadband to their established networks. Blackfoot Communications is committed to reaching rural areas and Montana’s smallest communities. They are prepared for the future and ready to continue providing excellent communication services for the next 70 years.
To learn more about Blackfoot Communications and their plans for internet infrastructure investment, visit their website at https://www.blackfoot.com/.
