Pandemic or not, Montana needs robust broadband

A recent study revealed woefully inadequate or unaffordable broadband in many of our communities.

Montana’s abrupt shift to remote work, school, and public services due to the pandemic has been nothing short of a miracle, driven by excellent and dedicated professionals who have made things work in a pinch. However, this shift shone a bright light on what many of us have known for some time. Montana’s broadband infrastructure is inadequate, particularly on our reservations and in rural and frontier areas.

In the age of videoconferencing, streaming media, and large data files, our state’s patchwork broadband infrastructure is taxed to the limit and failing in some locations.