Recent changes in work, school and healthcare have increased the demand for reliable broadband service. With schools moving to distance learning and many companies asking employees to telework, demand for high-capacity internet access has increased significantly. Local broadband provider Range has played a key role in ensuring broadband-enabled solutions for businesses and schools in its serving areas of Montana and Wyoming.

As a member of NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association (NTCA), Range has affirmed its commitment to its local community by subscribing to the Smart Rural Communities℠ program. Smart Rural Communities is a national program that promotes rural broadband and its role in supporting innovative economic development, access to education, state-of-the-art health care and other important issues for rural America.

In order to qualify as a Smart Rural Community℠ provider, Range was required to demonstrate high-capacity broadband capabilities as well as community subscription to its services. More importantly, the program requires local communications providers to work actively with other local leaders to develop broadband-based solutions to improve local conditions. In the rural communities in Montana and Wyoming, these include more than 5,150 homes across 30,000 square miles.

Rob Johnstone, Range Chief Executive Officer remarked, ” The fiber-optic connectivity that we provide to our rural communities allows residents and businesses to stay just as connected as those in a major metropolitan area.”

NTCA Chief Executive Officer Shirley Bloomfield commented, “Smart Rural Communities℠ is a growing network of innovative broadband providers delivering the Internet’s fastest speeds in some of the most remote and rural communities of our country. I applaud Range and the communities they serve for their commitment to enabling cutting-edge technologies that drive innovation and promote economic development in their region and nationwide.”

About NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association

NTCA—The Rural Broadband Association is the premier association representing nearly 850 independent, community-based telecommunications companies that are leading innovation in rural and small-town America. NTCA members are leading the technological evolution for rural consumers, delivering robust and high-quality services over future-proof networks that make rural communities vibrant places in which to live and do business.