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Governor Steve Bullock – Connecting Montana Students to Broadband

Montana is making incredible progress connecting K-12 students to high-speed broadband.

Since 2015, my administration has been working with the Education Super Highway to expand access to broadband in our schools. Education Super Highway’s Annual Report http://stateofthestates.educationsuperhighway.org/?postalCd=MT#state shows that 98% of Montana public school districts are now connected to broadband.

This is a 20% increase in the number of districts with broadband or fiber since 2015. And, the average cost to school districts has been cut in half.

In 2017, I signed House Bill 390 http://laws.leg.mt.gov/legprd/LAW0203W$BSRV.ActionQuery?P_SESS=20171&P_BLTP_BILL_TYP_CD=HB&P_BILL_NO=390&P_BILL_DFT_NO=&P_CHPT_NO=&Z_ACTION=Find&P_ENTY_ID_SEQ2=&P_SBJT_SBJ_CD=&P_ENTY_ID_SEQ= which made school districts eligible to apply for broadband funding. This bill created a state match for broadband funds from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) E-rate program–bringing up to $20 million in broadband investment for our schools. This will enable schools to upgrade their broadband infrastructure and increase digital learning in the classroom.

Montana schools are working hard to develop 21st century classrooms and connect high-speed internet for students to compete in our increasingly connected, global society.

The increase in school broadband was the result of a lot of hard work and partnership between my office, the Office of Public Instruction, School Administrators of Montana and the Montana Rural Education Association, as well as the school districts and service providers.

For more information, and to apply for the matching funds, please visit: http://www.comdev.com/programs/broadband.

We still have more work to do to invest in broadband funding for all Montana classrooms. Our students need 21st century classrooms to prepare them for a technology-driven job market and to prepare Montana’s economy for the future. And they’re counting on us to deliver for them.

Sincerely,

STEVE BULLOCK
Governor

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