GREAT FALLS, Mont. — Spectrum is expanding its fiber broadband network in Cascade County, bringing service to more than 1,200 additional homes and small businesses in previously unserved or underserved areas, including Ulm and Vaughn.
Gov. Greg Gianforte joined Spectrum this week to mark the expansion, which is part of the company’s broader rural broadband construction initiative.
“Expanding access to reliable high-speed internet creates more opportunity for Montanans, particularly in our rural communities,” Gianforte said. “It’s great to celebrate continued investments in broadband across Montana that help bridge the digital divide, connect families, support local businesses, and strengthen communities across our state.”
Spectrum said the Cascade County project is part of a multiyear, $7 billion rural construction initiative aimed at adding more than 100,000 miles of fiber infrastructure and reaching more than 1.7 million new locations nationwide.
Matt Mangan, area vice president of Spectrum Field Operations, said the expansion would provide rural residents and businesses with access to gigabit broadband and locally supported service.
The Cascade County buildout was funded in part through a grant from the Montana Broadband Office’s ConnectMT program. The program was established in 2021 and uses federal American Rescue Plan Act funding to support broadband deployment in areas lacking reliable service.
Montana has also received federal funding through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration gave final approval to the state’s BEAD proposal in November 2025, allocating more than $300 million for broadband expansion.
By: DNU Newswire