NewsBoosting broadband: Forest Service may change permits, accessFrom time to time, backcountry travelers notice an unusually tall and odd-looking tree in the forest: a clumsily camouflaged communications tower. Those towers, and more obvious collections of cell-phone and data relay stations, could get technological updates soon based on directives from Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. Read more July 5, 2020
Economic Affairs Interim Committee letter to Gov. Bullock urges working with private providers to encourage broadband expansion.Click here to read the letter. July 2, 2020 The COVID imperative: Connect rural America nowAmid the national debate about reopening the economy, one powerful lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic is now self-evident to all: Broadband is essential infrastructure for every community — and America must prioritize ensuring all of its citizens are connected to this vital modern resource. Read more June 2, 2020 Gary Bolton: Under the Stress of COVID-19, the Networks That Held Fast Were Symmetrical Fiber BroadbandDuring this pandemic, broadband networks across the world have been put to the ultimate stress test, expected to support an overnight transition to work-from-home for most businesses, multiple video users from households for two income knowledge worker families plus distance learning sessions for children. Read more May 29, 2020 Blackfoot helps schools with remote learningAs part of its ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Blackfoot Communications is committed to helping its communities lessen any challenges during this difficult time. Read more May 20, 2020 Energy and Telecommunications Interim CommitteeComments of the Montana Telecommunications Association May 21, 2020 Call Authentication Trust AnchorImplementation of the TRACED Act Section 6(1) - Knowledge of Customers by Entities with Access To Numbering Resources. Comments of the Montana Telecommunications Association. May 15, 2020 Can broadband keep up with demand during the pandemic?The coronavirus pandemic has led to unprecedented demand for broadband internet service, and a Senate hearing Wednesday focused on what the tech industry is doing to keep up with telework and students doing distance learning. Read moreMay 13, 2020 NTCA study on contributions reformEXPERT REPORT OF MICHAEL A. WILLIAMS, PH.D. AND WEI ZHAO, PH.D. Read report May 7, 2020 Momentum builds for rural broadband bailout as coronavirus chaos spreadsMay 4, 2020 After providing little relief to broadband companies in the latest COVID-19 relief bill, lawmakers are coalescing behind a $2- billion fund to prop up rural providers whose customers can’t pay. Read more Local internet providers support community during pandemicApril 29, 2020 With schools and many businesses closed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, Mission Valley residents are turning to ...Read more FCC Releases 2020 Broadband Deployment ReportApril 25, 2020 The Federal Communications is charged with “encourag[ing] the deployment on a reasonable and timely basis of advanced telecommunications capability to all Americans . . . by removing barriers to infrastructure investment and by promoting competition in the telecommunications market.” Available evidence demonstrates that the digital divide continues to narrow as more Americans than ever before have access to high-speed broadband. Read more Legislative Services Reports What’s Happening in State Government: Open for BusinessApril 10, 2020 State government continues to function and the Executive Branch COVID-19 website has the most recent information on COVID-19, but this is a place to learn about important changes affecting the citizens of Montana. Legislative researchers combed through agency websites and contacted state officials to compile overviews of state services affected and not affected by the pandemic. Read more Range companies, including RT offers free internet to studentsApril 9, 2020 As part of its continued response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Range Companies – Range Telephone Cooperative, Inc., RT Communications, Inc., and Dubois Telephone Exchange, Inc. – are coordinating with school districts in their subscriber areas to identify students who have a need for internet service in order to continue their education at home. Read more Remote Work and the CoronavirusMarch 23, 2020 Which Communities Are Most Able and Which Are Most Vulnerable to Take Advantage of the Shift to Remote Work: In the wake of the coronavirus crisis, large segments of the U.S. workforce have shifted to remote work. The history of similar pandemics like the 1918 Spanish Flu indicates that they occur in waves. Even as the first wave of the crisis ends in a couple of months, we need to ready our workforce and our communities for a protracted period of protecting ourselves as we battle the virus. That means that a substantial share of Americans will be working remotely for the foreseeable future. Surveys and polling data suggest that more Americans desire to work remotely in the wake of the current health crisis. And we can expect an increased share of the workforce and companies to remote work as they realize the cost-savings and other benefits. Read more |
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