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BOZEMAN, Montana, July 27, 2022 – Officials with nonprofit Internet entity Yellowstone Fiber announced Thursday that it will seek federal broadband funding to expand network construction in rural areas of its Montana footprint.
With each state poised to receive at least $100 million to expand broadband infrastructure under the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Yellowstone Fiber officials believe they are well-suited to receive funding to connect homes, businesses, farms and ranches on high level. -fast internet in parts of Gallatin County, Montana north of Bozeman.
Although Yellowstone Fiber is only starting with its first customers in September – and began offering pre-sales in late July – the new fiber entity believes the availability of financing through IIJA’s Equity, Access and Deployment program offers a unique opportunity.

Like all states, Montana will receive at least $100 million to expand high-speed broadband infrastructure to the nearly one-third of its citizens who currently lack access.
Speaking about the upcoming launch of services on Yellowstone Fiber, CEO Greg Metzger said, “This is an important milestone for Yellowstone Fiber and we are extremely excited to announce that we will be bringing the network live in a few weeks.”
“For decades, people in rural Montana have been limited by slow and expensive Internet service and empty promises from cable providers.” “Today’s announcement signals that we are serious about connecting rural Gallatin County with high-speed fiber and the limitless possibilities it brings,” he said.
Yellowstone Fiber is building an open access network, meaning Yellowstone builds, owns and operates the fiber infrastructure and then leases space on its high-speed fiber to service providers, including Blackfoot Communications, Skynet Communications, Global Net, TCT and XMission.

In an interview, Metzger highlighted the role open access networks play in enabling free market competition, including better pricing, service and reliability.
Metzger, an entrepreneur who previously made plastic deposit bags for banks, sold that business and bought a furniture company in Montana.
Although he said he would rather play golf, when he came across a new funding mechanism, he decided to create a non-profit entity designed to serve his community with fiber optic network services.
Yellowstone Fiber was formerly Bozeman Fiber, and was created in 2015 as an economic development initiative to address the lack of true high-speed broadband in Gallatin County, Montana.
A group including the City of Bozeman, Gallatin County, the Bozeman School District and business leaders was formed and financed by eight banks with a Community Reinvestment Act loan.
This $4,000,000 was used to create a fiber ring connecting tenants, including the city, county and school district, and also serving Cannery County and downtown Bozeman.
Anchor operations began in fall 2016 and commercial operations in February 2017. In 2020, the network formed an operating partnership with Utah-based UTOPIA Fiber to bring fiber-to-the-home services to every address in Gallatin County.

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