Last week, Montana’s broadband efforts took a leap forward when the state became first in the nation to open its Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program application portal.
“We’ve been working behind the scenes to be ready,” said Misty Ann Giles — Director of the Department of Administration and Chief Operating Officer for the state of Montana — in an interview with Telecompetitor.
“Some states’ processes are different, but we started building the portal in January. We didn’t want to be the state that, when the [proposal] approval came through, was scrambling. We wanted to be ready.”
And Montana was ready. Receiving approval for their “Internet for All” proposal from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) on July 30, Montana announced the opening of their BEAD application portal less than two weeks later — the first state in the nation to do so.
“Everyone likes to be first,” said Giles. “It wasn’t planned that way, but we hit the ground running as soon as the [Notice of Funding Opportunity] hit.”
The Future of Montana Broadband Rests in Experienced Hands
Giles is no stranger to broadband expansion programs. “I’ve been in and out of broadband for 20 years,” she said, referring to a career that took her from Georgia — working for then-governor Sonny Perdue — to Washington, D.C., where, after graduating from law school, Giles worked for Perdue again when he became Secretary of Agriculture.
During her years with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Giles lobbied Congress to help establish the USDA’s ReConnect Loan and Grant Program, which provides funds for broadband expansion in rural areas.
In 2021, Giles was approached by Governor Greg Gianforte of Montana, who wanted her to lead the state’s Department of Administration and become the state’s first-ever Chief Operating Officer. Giles was in this role when the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was passed. Suddenly, Montana needed someone to oversee its broadband expansion efforts.
“When ConnectMT was founded,” said Giles, referring to the creation of Montana’s broadband office, “they were looking for a home for it.” Because of her experience in broadband and because she had engineers on her team, Giles thought it was natural for the Department of Administration, under her supervision, to oversee Montana’s broadband grants and expansion.
Today, ConnectMT is run by a small team (“about four or five people”) and Giles is involved “day in and day out.” She was closely involved in the creation of the state’s BEAD proposals and said she’s proud of the work her team did in reaching out to providers and communities to include them in Montana’s broadband expansion plans and prepare them for the grant process.
Montana’s Broadband Challenges
As the United States’ third-least populous state per square mile and fourth-largest state overall, getting broadband to every citizen of Montana is difficult. “Geography is our biggest challenge,” said Giles. “We have some of the most remote mountain country.”
As a result, ConnectMT is working with providers to determine the “high-cost areas” (as defined by the BEAD allocation methodology), and then determine the best technology to reach those areas, be it fiber, fixed wireless, or satellite internet.
When asked what Montana’s biggest challenge is beyond geography, Giles referred to workforce and supply chain issues. “All states are concerned about this. This is the first time in history I’ve seen just about all states across the country working on the same thing. We have enough workforce right now, but as more states open [their BEAD portals], we’re a little concerned. We have 50 states all trying to get the job done.”
What’s Next for Broadband in Montana
Now that Montana’s BEAD application portal is open, prospective subgrantees have 60 days to apply. The application deadline is October 15, after which the state will finalize their funding proposal for NTIA. They have a year after the NTIA’s recent approval to review applications and submit their final proposal for BEAD funding — i.e., until July 30, 2025. But Giles hopes the process will move much faster.
“The target is to have recommendations ready by December or January, so hopefully we can get the proposal off [to NTIA] in the spring. We have a very short construction season,” said Giles, referring to the state’s snowy climate. “If I diddle around and wait until July, we will have missed that window. I’m hoping [construction crews] can get to work next summer.”
Giles said there were about 60 applications for Montana’s $310M ARPA broadband funding. Montana was awarded just under $629M for the BEAD Program, so Giles expects they may have double the number of applications (i.e., 120) of the ARPA grant process.
“My biggest hope is that companies come to the table with great applications, and it’s a smooth application process and we get the money out the door quickly, well in advance of the July deadline,” Giles said.
With ARPA and BEAD combining for a nearly $1B investment in Montana broadband, Giles is enthusiastic about the opportunity to meet a critical need.
“Montana lags behind in access and adoption. We have areas that are unserved and underserved, and having the injection of capital in the government will help. Broadband is no longer a luxury — it’s not 1999. Everything we touch is online: paying taxes, getting your hunting license, checking on your child’s homework. We’re excited to have these funds to help our companies do this.
“This is a generational investment for us,” concluded Giles. “We’ve got a lot of citizens who need this, so we’re just excited.”
Additional information about Montana broadband, including state funding resources, awards made, and state-specific Telecompetitor coverage, can be found on the Telecompetitor Broadband Nation webpage for the state.
