Tuesday, Jan 31 2012 3:59PM
A Montana county official wrote an op-ed, calling for broadband expansion statewide.
A Cascade County, Montana, official recently wrote an opinion editorial for the Great Falls Tribune, in which he said state officials should be placing the need for broadband expansion in rural areas as a top priority.
Montana Association of Counties Senior Vice President Joe Briggs stated Montana's economy, including its healthcare and education systems and other heavily employed industries, increasingly need more reliable and extensive broadband access.
"Working together with the state of Montana, Internet and wireless providers, concerned citizens, our congressional delegation and the National Association of Counties, we will make certain that the concerns of rural Montana are heard in this critical debate," he said.
Briggs acknowledged, though, that he is unsure where the money could come from to further develop broadband throughout the state.
Another op-ed in the Billings Gazette also calls for broadband expansion in Montana. U.S. Cattlemen’s Association Executive Vice President Jess Peterson stated access to reliable broadband can be beneficial not only for the economic development of ranchers and agricultural producers, but also households and companies.
For further information, check out these sources:
Great Falls Tribune,
Billings Gazette