Broadwater County Advisory Board Meeting
 | Author:
Nancy Marks, Reporter
Nancy Marks: MT43 News Secretary and News Editor |
Broadwater County Advisory Board Meeting
Nancy Marks
Reporter
After years and months of waiting for approved contracts to install broadband to rural Broadwater County rural residents, the newly formed broadband advisory board gathered to weigh its options on Tuesday, May 2nd. They gathered at a meeting with Senator Jon Tester’s field representatives Amanda Casey and Zack Ringsak to discuss strategies to give the county a better chance of receiving a grant from the State from federal BEAD (Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program) funding.
Fiber Optic Company Opticom General Manager, Dean Nelson, of Bozeman pointed out that Broadwater County is one of the fastest-growing counties in the state. Its rural citizens are 92% unserved or underserved by fast internet service. “Not many places in Montana are as poorly served as Broadwater County,” he said.
He pointed out Broadwater County needs to advocate for itself because many counties and companies will be vying for the next round of funds. Between $500 and $750 million will be allocated toward extending Montana’s broadband. The advisory board’s many tasks will include learning the ropes of requesting federal funds and understanding the eligibility requirements for winning those funds.
Partnerships in our community will be everything in doing the research, writing and connecting to the government departments who will be allocating the money according to Commissioner Lyndsey Richtmyer who is the liaison member of the committee.
The advisory committee will be reaching out to broadband businesses as well as to large employers in the county such as Billings Clinic Broadwater, Graymont Lime Plant and Townsend Schools, Wheat Montana, Bridger Brewing and Montana Business Assistance Connections (MBAC) to build economic research and needs for higher broadband service. They will be asking for letters of support from the 102 nonprofit organizations in Broadwater County as well. Nelson admonished the group about gathering data and getting letters of support. “Community support is really critical for qualifying for these additional funds,” he said.
Vic Sample is the chairman of the volunteer advisory board. Other members are Roger Flynn, Joe Gill, Warren Smeltzer and Adam Six.
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PhotoCredit: Nancy Marks
Image 1 Caption: Blackfoot Communications of Missoula’s crews Installing fiber optic cable along Highway 12 East for Townsend small businesses.
