The project's purpose is to add 137 miles of new middle mile fiber in remote western montana

The Department of Commerce National Telecommunications and Information Administration awarded a $16,795,000 Middle Mile (Broadband) Grant (CFDA 11.033) to the Blackfoot Telephone Cooperative, Inc. for the purpose of adding 137 miles of new middle mile fiber in remote western Montana. This project will enable affordable broadband access to over 9,600 currently unserved or underserved locations, including 67 anchor institutions, across 42 communities in six counties. The Blackfoot Telephone Cooperative will construct, own, and operate 115 miles of the new fiber, while its subrecipient, Southern Montana Telephone, will construct, own, and operate the remaining 22 miles. The project aims to create a 365-mile fiber ring to improve network reliability and resiliency, positively impacting broadband service for thousands of Montanans. The period of performance for this project grant is expected to be 3 years, from July 1, 2023, to January 31, 2027.

Spread across six counties, covering more than 13,000 square miles, and impacting 42 communities, the project will enable affordable broadband to thousands of unserved and underserved locations. In addition, the project will create a fiber-ring totaling roughly 365 miles, delivering network reliability, resiliency, and positively impacting the broadband experience of thousands of montanans. The project will facilitate deployment of broadband service to more than 9,600 locations that will be within 1,000 feet of the project's middle mile fiber. Of these 9,600 locations, 5,810 are currently unserved and 3,822 are underserved. Included in these 9,600 locations 67 are anchor institutions, many of which are unserved. The blackfoot telephone cooperative and its subrecipient, the southern montana telephone, plan to bring fiber connectivity to community stakeholders including schools, libraries, rural fire departments, local and state governments, hospitals, medical clinics, economic development groups, national parks, the U.S. Forest service, public health departments, federal congressional representatives, broadband associations, state broadband office, service providers, ranchers and citizens. The blackfoot telephone cooperative will construct, own and operate 115 of the 137 proposed, fiber miles in its service area. Southern montana telephone, serving as a subrecipient on the project, will construct, own and operate 22 of the 137 proposed, fiber miles in its service area. Project will use fiber to build new/resilient middle mile network through UN/underserved communities with a commitment to open access and carrier neutral non-discriminatory interconnect. The period of performance is expected to be 3 years.