Connectivity is increasing in rural Montana thanks to several initiatives from Blackfoot Communications, a Montana service provider that recently announced the completion of an $11 million network revamp in St. Ignatius.

 

The efforts to upgrade the St. Ignatius network, which began in 2018, involved installing nearly 380 miles of fiber to serve roughly 1,000 locations, according to a September release from Blackfoot Communcations. 

 

The St. Ignatius network upgrade completion accompanies several other pushes to expand connectivity in rural Montana. Blackfoot Communications, which serves Western Montana and Eastern Idaho, said they are actively building fiber networks in Thompson Falls, Plains, Philipsburg, and Georgetown Lake.

 

St. Ignatius, a community of less than 1,000 residents, is located on Montana’s Flathead Indian Reservation at the base of the Mission Mountains.

 

Stuart Morton, a Blackfoot trustee from Mission Valley, said “bringing cutting-edge technology to rural communities has always been a priority for Blackfoot Communications.”

 

He called closing the area’s digital divide “a big win.”

 

Jason Williams, the CEO of Blackfoot Communications, said the St. Ignatius network’s upgrade is the first of many planned by the company in Western Montana.

 

“Fiber optic cable is a futureproof technology and long-lasting infrastructure, providing opportunities for decades to come.”