Montana internet, where telephone co-ops wired the small towns
Fiber is available at 42.5% of the 498,334 homes and businesses the FCC counts in Montana, and wired broadband of at least 100/20 Mbps at 76.1%. 18.8% of locations have a choice of two or more wired providers at that speed; at 57.4% there is only one.1
FCC National Broadband Map, availability as of June 30, 2026 (data revised November 10, 2026), as reported by providers.
West region, Mountain division
Montana's fiber map is upside down: some of its emptiest counties, served by telephone cooperatives, have fiber at nearly every address, while the valleys around Livingston, Kalispell and Missoula still lean on cable and radio links. Most locations have one wired choice at most, and the state's BEAD plan sends more of its locations to satellite than any other.
The companies on Montana's map
45 companies report terrestrial home internet somewhere in Montana on the FCC's National Broadband Map, with data as of June 30, 2026 (revision of November 10, 2026). The map counts 498,3341 broadband serviceable locations: houses, apartment buildings, ranches and small businesses. A provider lists a location as available when it says it could connect it within ten business days for a standard installation; residents can challenge any listing.
The names with the widest reach are not the ones that brought fiber. CenturyLink reports service at 56.2% of locations, almost all of it DSL: its fiber reaches 1.7%, and it offers 100/20 Mbps at only 1.9%. Verizon reports licensed fixed wireless at 52.1%, with 100/20 at 23.3%, and T-Mobile and AT&T report their 5G home internet at 46.7% and 21.6%. Spectrum's cable network is the main wire in the cities, at 51.0% of locations, and at 33.4%1 it is the only wired provider at 100/20 Mbps.
| CenturyLink | Fiber DSL | 56.2% | 1.9% | 3 Gbps | 0.4% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verizon | Licensed wireless | 52.1% | 23.3% | 300 Mbps | – |
| Spectrum | Fiber Cable | 51.0% | 51.0% | 1 Gbps | 33.4% |
| T-Mobile | Licensed wireless | 46.7% | 10.3% | 100 Mbps | – |
| AT&T | Licensed wireless | 21.6% | 4.6% | 100 Mbps | – |
| Wisp West, Celerity Internet | Licensed wireless Fixed wireless | 15.1% | 8.5% | 400 Mbps | – |
| TDS | Fiber | 9.4% | 9.4% | 8 Gbps | 0.3% |
| CIS | Fixed wireless | 8.2% | 8.2% | 1 Gbps | – |
| MontanaSky Networks Inc | Fiber Cable Licensed wireless Fixed wireless | 8.1% | 4.9% | 1 Gbps | 0.3% |
| The Montana Internet Corporation | Fiber Licensed wireless Fixed wireless | 7.8% | 0.6% | 1 Gbps | 0.1% |
| SkyNet Communications | Licensed wireless Fixed wireless | 6.7% | 6.7% | 1 Gbps | – |
Source: FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of June 30, 2026. Share of the area's broadband serviceable locations where the provider reports service as of June 30, 2026. "Only wired option" is the share of locations where it is the single wired provider at 100/20 Mbps. Provider-reported and challengeable; speeds are advertised maximums, not measured; no prices. Satellite providers (HughesNet, Starlink, Viasat) report service at nearly every location and are left out of the table.
Further down the list are the networks that matter most outside the cities: telephone cooperatives, regional wireless companies such as CIS and Wisp West (Celerity Internet), and TDS, which did not appear on the Montana map in June 2022 and now reports fiber at 9.4%1 of the state's locations.
Fiber built by co-ops, county by county
Fiber is reported at 42.5% of Montana's locations, up from 19.0%2 in June 2022 but still the 5th lowest share among the states; the national share is 62.6%. None of the large national companies accounts for much of it. CenturyLink reports fiber at 1.7% of locations and Spectrum at 2.9%. Instead, 311 providers each cover a piece of the state, many of them local telephone cooperatives.
Source: FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of June 30, 2026; Census Bureau, Cartographic boundary file cb_2025_us_county_5m. Darker counties are higher. Point at a county for its value; the county table has every figure. FCC file revision of November 10, 2026. Shares are of broadband serviceable locations (homes and businesses), not people.
That produces a map few states share. Fiber reaches half or more of the locations in 301 of Montana's 563 counties, and the highest shares are in small rural counties:
- Sweet Grass County, around Big Timber: 97.3% of 2,218 locations, almost all from Triangle Communications, a telephone cooperative.
- Wibaux County, on the North Dakota line: 96.1% of 622 locations, led by Reservation Telephone Cooperative.
- Madison County, south of Butte: 89.7% of 7,617 locations, where 3 Rivers Communications reports service at 91.5%.
- Meagher County, in the center of the state: 86.8%, again mostly Triangle Communications1.
One by one, these networks are small. Triangle reports service at 24,744 locations and 3 Rivers at 21,032, all of them in Montana; Montana Opticom, which reports only fiber, covers 21,194. Mid-Rivers, Nemont, Blackfoot and other cooperatives fill in more of the map, and Grizzly Broadband, owned by Ravalli Electric Cooperative, reports fiber and fixed wireless service at 67.6%1 of locations in Ravalli County.
The larger counties sit lower. In Flathead County, around Kalispell, fiber reaches 26.1% of 51,601 locations; in Missoula County, 28.9%. Gallatin County, around Bozeman (58.7%), and Cascade County, around Great Falls (54.9%), are the exceptions among the large counties. At the other end, Mineral County, west of Missoula, has fiber at 0.4%1 of its locations.
Source: FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of June 30, 2026. FCC file revision of November 10, 2026. Shares are of broadband serviceable locations (homes and businesses), not people.
Show the numbers
| Area | Fiber available |
|---|---|
| Sweet Grass County | 97.3% |
| Wibaux County | 96.1% |
| Madison County | 89.7% |
| Meagher County | 86.8% |
| United States | 62.6% |
| Gallatin County | 58.7% |
| Cascade County | 54.9% |
| Montana | 42.5% |
| Yellowstone County | 38.3% |
| Missoula County | 28.9% |
| Flathead County | 26.1% |
| Park County | 1.5% |
| Mineral County | 0.4% |
Fiber without gigabit, gigabit without fiber
Fiber and gigabit offers do not line up in Montana's filings, in either direction. Statewide, offers of 1,000/100 Mbps are reported at 44.7% of locations, the 2nd lowest1 share among the states.
Some cooperative fiber is filed at modest speeds. Triangle's fiber filings top out at 100/20 Mbps, so Meagher County, with fiber at 86.8% of locations, has 1,000/100 offers at 0.0%, and Sweet Grass County at 1.1%. Other co-ops file differently: in Madison County, 3 Rivers's fiber is listed at gigabit speeds, and the gigabit share equals the fiber share, 89.7%1.
The reverse happens around Missoula. There, 1,000/100 offers are reported at 88.2% of locations although fiber reaches only 28.9%. Apart from satellite, the provider with the widest reach in the county is CIS, an unlicensed fixed wireless network that reports service at 88.0% of Missoula County's locations and advertises up to 1 Gbps1. These are advertised maximums, filed by the provider; a radio link and a fiber line with the same advertised tier are not the same service.
| Area | Fiber available | Gigabit (1,000/100) | Wired 100/20 Mbps | 2 Gbps or more |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meagher County, Montana | 86.8% | 0.0% | 86.8% | 0.0% |
| Sweet Grass County, Montana | 97.3% | 1.1% | 97.3% | 0.0% |
| Madison County, Montana | 89.7% | 89.7% | 89.7% | 0.0% |
| Missoula County, Montana | 28.9% | 88.2% | 81.4% | 16.5% |
| Gallatin County, Montana | 58.7% | 73.7% | 81.0% | 1.8% |
| Montana | 42.5% | 44.7% | 76.1% | 13.8% |
| United States | 62.6% | 72.3% | 92.3% | 61.0% |
Source: FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of June 30, 2026. FCC file revision of November 10, 2026. Shares are of broadband serviceable locations (homes and businesses), not people.
At the top of the range, offers of 2 Gbps or more reached 13.8% of locations, up from 0.4% in June 2022. TDS advertises up to 8 Gbps on its Montana fiber; in Billings it reports service at 32.5% of locations, and the city's fiber share rose from 6.6%2 in 2022 to 44.3%1.
One wire, or none
Wired service of 100/20 Mbps reaches 76.1% of Montana's locations, the 3rd lowest share among the states. Where it exists, there is usually a single network. At 57.4% of locations exactly one wired provider offers 100/20 Mbps (3rd highest among the states, against 36.6% nationally), at 23.9% none does, and only 18.8% have two or more. Two fiber networks overlap at just 3.5%1.
Source: FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of June 30, 2026. Different wired providers (fiber, cable or DSL; FCC provider IDs) reporting 100 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up or more at the same location. Fixed wireless and satellite are not counted.
Show the numbers
| Area | None | One | Two | Three or more |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montana | 23.9% | 57.4% | 16.3% | 2.5% |
| Gallatin County | 19.0% | 38.3% | 34.9% | 7.7% |
| Cascade County | 11.9% | 50.8% | 28.2% | 9.0% |
| Yellowstone County | 10.8% | 56.5% | 26.5% | 6.3% |
| Missoula County | 18.6% | 58.4% | 20.8% | 2.1% |
| Flathead County | 27.1% | 55.9% | 15.4% | 1.5% |
| United States | 7.8% | 36.6% | 44.6% | 11.1% |
Choice is mostly a city matter, and nowhere common. Gallatin County, around Bozeman, has the highest share of locations with two or more wired choices, 42.6%; small Sweet Grass County is next at 37.8%, and among the larger counties Cascade, around Great Falls (37.3%), and Yellowstone (32.8%) follow. In most co-op counties the single wire is usually fiber: Madison County has wired 100/20 service at 89.7% of locations and a second wired choice at 0.0%1.
The unserved share fell by 15.1 percentage points in four years
Under the BEAD definition, a location is unserved when no provider reports reliable terrestrial service of at least 25/3 Mbps. In June 2022 that was 24.3%2 of Montana's locations; by June 2026 it was 9.1%, a change that ranks 2nd lowest among the states: only one state's unserved share fell further. Montana still has the 4th highest unserved share in the country; nationally it is 2.4%1.
Source: FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of June 30, 2022; FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of December 31, 2025; FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of June 30, 2026. Shares of broadband serviceable locations in each FCC release (latest revision of each); the small number is the change in percentage points since June 30, 2022. The FCC's count of locations is updated with each release, so shares are compared rather than counts.
Show the numbers
| Measure | June 30, 2022 | December 31, 2025 | June 30, 2026 | Change (points) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unserved | 24.3% | 10.3% | 9.1% | −15.1 pts |
| No terrestrial 100/20 | 34.3% | 14.8% | 14.1% | −20.1 pts |
| Fiber available | 19.0% | 39.7% | 42.5% | 23.5 pts |
| Wired 100/20 Mbps | 62.3% | 75.3% | 76.1% | 13.8 pts |
| Fixed wireless only at 100/20 | 3.4% | 9.9% | 9.8% | 6.3 pts |
Wired 100/20 coverage rose by 13.8 percentage points, the 4th highest gain among the states, and fixed-wireless-only coverage rose by 6.3 percentage points. Over the same four years, the share with no terrestrial 100/20 offer at all fell from 34.3%2 to 14.1%1. The FCC's location list also changes with each release, so these are changes in shares, not in counts of homes.
Park, Carbon and Mineral: radio links instead of wires
The largest gaps are not only on the eastern plains. They are also in the mountain counties between the cities, where little fiber has been built. At 9.8% of Montana's locations, 100/20 Mbps is available only by fixed wireless, the 7th highest1 share among the states, up from 3.4%2 in 2022.
Source: FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of June 30, 2026; Census Bureau, Cartographic boundary file cb_2025_us_county_5m. Darker counties have larger gaps. Point at a county for its value; the county table has every figure. FCC file revision of November 10, 2026. Shares are of broadband serviceable locations (homes and businesses), not people.
- Park County, which includes Livingston and the road to Yellowstone, has fiber at 1.5% of its 9,913 locations and wired 100/20 service at 44.0%. Fixed wireless is the only 100/20 option at 33.8%; the provider with the widest reach is Wisp West, Celerity Internet, at 80.4%. 23.8% of locations are unserved.
- Carbon County, around Red Lodge, has wired 100/20 at 38.2%, fixed-wireless-only 100/20 at 28.0%, and an unserved share of 28.7%.
- In Mineral County, Blackfoot Telephone Cooperative Inc reports some service at 92.3% of locations, but wired 100/20 reaches 0.4%. Fixed wireless is the only 100/20 option at 44.5%1.
On the plains, the gap is satellite. Garfield County, around Jordan, has the highest unserved share in the state, 51.7% of its 938 locations, and satellite is the only service at 36.8%. Mid-Rivers Communications reports service at 55.8% of the county's locations. Statewide, 3.5% of locations are satellite-only, the 4th highest1 share among the states.
| Area | Locations (BSLs) | Unserved | Satellite only | Fixed wireless only at 100/20 | Wired 100/20 Mbps | Fiber available |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garfield County, Montana | 938 | 51.7% | 36.8% | 1.7% | 45.0% | 45.0% |
| Park County, Montana | 9,913 | 23.8% | 8.4% | 33.8% | 44.0% | 1.5% |
| Carbon County, Montana | 7,297 | 28.7% | 6.1% | 28.0% | 38.2% | 15.7% |
| Mineral County, Montana | 2,713 | 23.1% | 4.6% | 44.5% | 0.4% | 0.4% |
| Lake County, Montana | 16,109 | 20.0% | 3.4% | 9.5% | 61.1% | 31.3% |
| Flathead County, Montana | 51,601 | 8.5% | 2.6% | 14.9% | 72.9% | 26.1% |
| Montana | 498,334 | 9.1% | 3.5% | 9.8% | 76.1% | 42.5% |
| United States | 115,784,915 | 2.4% | 0.8% | 3.6% | 92.3% | 62.6% |
Source: FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of June 30, 2026. FCC file revision of November 10, 2026. Shares are of broadband serviceable locations (homes and businesses), not people.
BEAD: satellite for most of the plan
Montana was allocated $629.0 million5 under the federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. The Montana Department of Administration's ConnectMT office runs the program. Its approved Final Proposal covers 68,498 locations at a BEAD cost of $303.7 million, or $4,434 per location, with a further $145.2 million6 committed by providers.
Source: NTIA BroadbandUSA, BEAD Final Proposal Overview one-page PDFs. Locations in the state's approved BEAD Final Proposal by technology of the selected projects, as printed in NTIA's Final Proposal overview; subject to NTIA and NIST final review and award.
Show the numbers
| Technology | Share of BEAD locations |
|---|---|
| Fiber | 21.0% |
| Cable | 0.0% |
| Fixed wireless | 15.3% |
| Low-Earth-orbit satellite | 63.7% |
The technology mix is the most satellite-heavy of any state plan. 43,662 locations (63.7%) are assigned to low-Earth-orbit satellite, a share that ranks the highest among the state plans; 14,362 (21.0%) are to get fiber, the 3rd lowest fiber share; and 10,474 (15.3%) fixed wireless. $325.3 million6 of the allocation is not assigned to construction in the plan; how that money may be used was not settled as of November 2026.
Earlier federal money is listed below: the Treasury's Capital Projects Fund ($119.9 million7), USDA ReConnect awards ($47.1 million8), and the FCC's Connect America Fund Phase II, under which 37,0919 locations were reported as built.
| Program | Amount | As of |
|---|---|---|
| BEAD allocation (NTIA, announced June 26, 2023) | $628,973,799 | |
| BEAD Final Proposal: locations to be connected | 68,498 | |
| BEAD Final Proposal: deployment cost | $303,686,528 | |
| BEAD cost per location | $4,434 | |
| BEAD allocation not assigned to deployment | $325,287,271 | |
| Treasury Capital Projects Fund allocation | $119,934,533 | |
| RDOF: locations built with support (cumulative) | 3,119 | |
| USDA ReConnect grants reported to USAspending | $47,095,315 | |
| Lifeline subscribers claimed | 5,747 | |
| Lifeline participation rate | 6.5% | |
| Households in the Affordable Connectivity Program, February 2024 | 54,539 |
Source: NTIA BroadbandUSA, BEAD Award Recipients pages; NTIA BroadbandUSA, BEAD Final Proposal Overview one-page PDFs; Department of the Treasury, Capital Projects Fund Awards Made to States, Territories, and Freely Associated States, to date; USAC, CAF Disbursements and Locations Data; Department of the Treasury, spending_by_award API for Assistance Listings 10.752; Universal Service Administrative Co., Lifeline Disbursements; USAC, Lifeline participation rate; USAC, ACP Enrollments by County as of February 8, 2024. BEAD figures are as printed in NTIA's Final Proposal overview, subject to final review; "not assigned to deployment" is the allocation minus the deployment cost (NTIA calls it savings; how it may be used is not settled). The ACP stopped taking applications on February 8, 2024 and ended on June 1, 2024.
Satellite dishes and phone plans at home
What households buy is measured by a different source. In the Census Bureau's 2025 American Community Survey, 92.7% of Montana households had a broadband subscription of any kind (margin of error ±0.7 percentage points), but only 69.2% subscribed to cable, fiber or DSL (±1.0 percentage points), the 4th lowest share among the states by point estimate. 12.2% reported a satellite subscription (±0.8 percentage points), the 4th highest share by point estimate, and 13.0%13 relied only on a cellular data plan.
Source: FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of June 30, 2026; Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 1-year detailed tables. Availability is a share of locations as of June 30, 2026 (FCC); subscriptions are a share of households from the American Community Survey, 2025 (whiskers: 90% margin of error). Different units and dates: read the gap as a sign, not an exact number.
Show the numbers
| Measure | Share | MOE |
|---|---|---|
| Wired 100/20 Mbps available (FCC, share of locations) | 76.1% | |
| Households subscribing to cable, fiber or DSL (Census) | 69.2% | ±1.0 |
| Households relying only on a cellular data plan | 13.0% | ±0.8 |
| Households with no internet subscription | 7.1% | ±0.7 |
Income matters as well. Among households earning under $20,000, 76.7% had broadband (margin of error ±3.2 percentage points), a rate that ranks the lowest among the states by point estimate, against 97.0%13 of those earning $75,000 or more. The FCC map lists no prices. When the Affordable Connectivity Program stopped enrolling in February 2024, 54,53912 Montana households were signed up; the program ended on June 1, 2024. Lifeline, the federal discount that continues, reaches an estimated 6.5%11 of eligible Montana households.
Every Montana county, city and town
Billings is the only Montana city with its own page; Spectrum reports service at 95.3% of its locations, and 42.6%1 have two or more wired choices at 100/20 Mbps. Every county, and every city and town of 10,000 or more, is below.
| Billings | 121,239 | 44.3% | 44.3% | 42.6% | 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missoula | 78,903 | 39.4% | 100.0% | 36.1% | 6 |
| Great Falls | 60,208 | 56.3% | 56.3% | 54.1% | 6 |
| Bozeman | 58,814 | 52.3% | 83.9% | 51.5% | 5 |
| Butte-Silver Bow (balance) | 35,469 | 44.0% | 44.0% | 35.7% | 6 |
| Helena | 35,138 | 27.3% | 27.3% | 24.2% | 5 |
| Kalispell | 31,851 | 48.0% | 44.6% | 42.7% | 6 |
| Belgrade | 13,107 | 98.1% | 99.9% | 96.4% | 4 |
Source: FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of June 30, 2026; Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates; Census Bureau, 2020 Census Block Assignment Files. Shares of broadband serviceable locations inside city limits (2020 census blocks), as of June 30, 2026. Population: July 1, 2025 estimate. Gigabit: 1,000/100 Mbps.
| Beaverhead County | 5,497 | 31.3% | 70.7% | 0.0% | 7.6% | CenturyLink | 63.8% ±5.9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Horn County | 4,749 | 54.6% | 54.9% | 4.6% | 24.7% | Nemont | 54.3% ±4.8 |
| Blaine County | 3,473 | 91.8% | 91.8% | 31.7% | 7.7% | Triangle Communications | 76.7% ±4.2 |
| Broadwater County | 3,904 | 11.0% | 28.6% | 4.1% | 24.6% | The Montana Internet Corporation | 45.6% ±6.2 |
| Carbon County | 7,297 | 15.7% | 38.2% | 0.1% | 28.7% | CenturyLink | 49.5% ±45.9 |
| Carter County | 891 | 79.9% | 80.1% | 0.0% | 14.4% | Mid-Rivers Communications | 53.7% ±6.4 |
| Cascade County | 32,491 | 54.9% | 88.1% | 37.3% | 3.6% | Konceptio Data Services LLC | 72.7% ±1.6 |
| Chouteau County | 3,512 | 94.2% | 94.2% | 22.1% | 5.6% | Triangle Communications | 67.5% ±4.2 |
| Custer County | 5,534 | 6.6% | 71.9% | 0.0% | 13.3% | Mid-Rivers Communications | 62.5% ±3.7 |
| Daniels County | 1,325 | 95.6% | 95.6% | 0.0% | 4.4% | Nemont | 74.4% ±5.7 |
| Dawson County | 4,724 | 24.9% | 83.8% | 0.0% | 9.2% | Mid-Rivers Communications | 67.9% ±6.1 |
| Deer Lodge County | 5,079 | 18.7% | 84.4% | 2.8% | 8.6% | Spectrum | 50.0% ±5.0 |
| Fallon County | 1,726 | 94.7% | 94.7% | 0.0% | 4.1% | Mid-Rivers Communications | 61.5% ±7.7 |
| Fergus County | 7,053 | 34.1% | 71.9% | 0.0% | 16.8% | Mid-Rivers Communications | 61.1% ±3.9 |
| Flathead County | 51,601 | 26.1% | 72.9% | 17.0% | 8.5% | CenturyLink | 63.6% ±1.9 |
| Gallatin County | 44,914 | 58.7% | 81.0% | 42.6% | 6.1% | CenturyLink | 76.2% ±1.5 |
| Garfield County | 938 | 45.0% | 45.0% | 0.0% | 51.7% | Mid-Rivers Communications | 56.9% ±6.6 |
| Glacier County | 5,137 | 22.6% | 47.9% | 0.0% | 15.2% | Siyeh Communications | 53.6% ±4.4 |
| Golden Valley County | 596 | 89.4% | 89.4% | 0.0% | 10.1% | Mid-Rivers Communications | 54.8% ±9.5 |
| Granite County | 2,984 | 80.3% | 80.3% | 0.0% | 16.2% | Blackfoot Telephone Cooperative Inc | 62.5% ±6.2 |
| Hill County | 7,236 | 36.1% | 88.8% | 3.0% | 3.2% | Triangle Communications | 65.1% ±3.9 |
| Jefferson County | 6,219 | 18.0% | 47.1% | 0.5% | 29.6% | CenturyLink | 54.8% ±4.0 |
| Judith Basin County | 1,758 | 91.1% | 91.1% | 0.0% | 8.6% | Triangle Communications | 80.2% ±4.2 |
| Lake County | 16,109 | 31.3% | 61.1% | 13.0% | 20.0% | WesternMontanaCommunityTel | 64.9% ±2.5 |
| Lewis and Clark County | 30,887 | 33.1% | 83.0% | 17.8% | 5.4% | Spectrum | 71.2% ±1.9 |
| Liberty County | 1,137 | 92.4% | 84.3% | 0.0% | 4.4% | Triangle Communications | 54.7% ±6.4 |
| Lincoln County | 12,561 | 64.9% | 74.3% | 24.2% | 14.5% | InterBel Telephone Cooperative Inc | 66.6% ±3.6 |
| Madison County | 7,617 | 89.7% | 89.7% | 0.0% | 8.4% | 3 Rivers Communications | 70.2% ±4.5 |
| McCone County | 1,354 | 71.9% | 71.9% | 0.0% | 24.8% | Mid-Rivers Communications | 69.0% ±4.5 |
| Meagher County | 1,664 | 86.8% | 86.8% | 0.0% | 12.6% | Triangle Communications | 66.6% ±11.5 |
| Mineral County | 2,713 | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.0% | 23.1% | Blackfoot Telephone Cooperative Inc | 63.6% ±5.3 |
| Missoula County | 44,002 | 28.9% | 81.4% | 22.9% | 7.9% | Spectrum | 75.0% ±1.6 |
| Musselshell County | 3,158 | 90.5% | 90.5% | 0.0% | 7.6% | Mid-Rivers Communications | 60.3% ±6.5 |
| Park County | 9,913 | 1.5% | 44.0% | 0.0% | 23.8% | CenturyLink | 61.9% ±3.7 |
| Petroleum County | 402 | 57.7% | 57.7% | 0.0% | 37.8% | Mid-Rivers Communications | 58.8% ±13.8 |
| Phillips County | 2,903 | 74.5% | 74.5% | 36.7% | 18.3% | Triangle Communications | 80.1% ±6.8 |
| Pondera County | 2,996 | 75.6% | 75.5% | 0.1% | 12.1% | 3 Rivers Communications | 58.3% ±5.2 |
| Powder River County | 1,065 | 52.9% | 53.1% | 0.0% | 40.9% | RT Communications Inc. | 56.6% ±8.2 |
| Powell County | 3,446 | 6.5% | 48.6% | 0.0% | 29.5% | CenturyLink | 51.6% ±7.0 |
| Prairie County | 852 | 91.7% | 91.7% | 0.0% | 7.5% | Mid-Rivers Communications | 69.0% ±8.7 |
| Ravalli County | 21,496 | 40.7% | 67.1% | 4.5% | 5.3% | Grizzly Broadband LLC | 54.9% ±3.3 |
| Richland County | 5,563 | 38.1% | 85.3% | 8.6% | 6.9% | Mid-Rivers Communications | 66.6% ±3.7 |
| Roosevelt County | 4,693 | 72.4% | 72.4% | 0.0% | 10.1% | Nemont | 59.6% ±3.2 |
| Rosebud County | 4,008 | 47.1% | 49.4% | 0.0% | 32.8% | RT Communications Inc. | 49.8% ±5.1 |
| Sanders County | 7,506 | 74.2% | 74.4% | 0.8% | 14.3% | Blackfoot Telephone Cooperative Inc | 72.0% ±4.0 |
| Sheridan County | 2,518 | 77.7% | 77.7% | 0.0% | 7.1% | Nemont | 74.0% ±6.4 |
| Silver Bow County | 16,134 | 42.9% | 87.9% | 34.8% | 3.3% | Visionary Broadband | 62.4% ±3.3 |
| Stillwater County | 5,254 | 26.1% | 50.8% | 0.0% | 13.1% | CenturyLink | 52.7% ±2.6 |
| Sweet Grass County | 2,218 | 97.3% | 97.3% | 37.8% | 2.1% | Triangle Communications | 71.9% ±6.2 |
| Teton County | 3,538 | 92.2% | 92.2% | 0.0% | 5.0% | 3 Rivers Communications | 70.9% ±3.3 |
| Toole County | 2,703 | 31.5% | 2.7% | 0.0% | 5.8% | 3 Rivers Communications | 61.4% ±6.1 |
| Treasure County | 445 | 12.6% | 16.2% | 0.0% | 40.0% | RT Communications Inc. | 61.7% ±10.0 |
| Valley County | 4,834 | 58.3% | 58.3% | 0.0% | 9.5% | Nemont | 71.3% ±4.3 |
| Wheatland County | 1,353 | 94.8% | 94.8% | 0.0% | 4.5% | Triangle Communications | 70.3% ±7.6 |
| Wibaux County | 622 | 96.1% | 96.1% | 1.9% | 3.4% | Reservation Telephone Cooperative | 62.7% ±10.6 |
| Yellowstone County | 64,032 | 38.3% | 89.3% | 32.8% | 1.5% | Spectrum | 76.1% ±1.3 |
| Montana | 498,334 | 42.5% | 76.1% | 18.8% | 9.1% | 68.7% |
Source: FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of June 30, 2026; Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year detailed tables. Shares of broadband serviceable locations as of June 30, 2026 (FCC). 2+ wired choices: two or more wired providers at 100/20 Mbps. Unserved: BEAD definition. Largest wired provider: reports fiber, cable or DSL at the most locations. Wired subscription: households with a cable, fiber or DSL subscription, American Community Survey 2020–2024 (± 90% margin of error).
Questions and answers
What internet providers serve Montana?
By reported reach, apart from satellite: CenturyLink (56.2% of locations, fiber and DSL), Verizon (52.1%, licensed fixed wireless), Spectrum (51.0%, fiber and cable) and T-Mobile (46.7%, licensed fixed wireless). Much of the state's fiber comes from smaller companies: telephone cooperatives such as Triangle, Mid-Rivers, Nemont, 3 Rivers and Blackfoot, plus TDS, which reports fiber in Billings and elsewhere. In total 451 companies report terrestrial service as of June 30, 2026.
What is the cheapest internet in Montana?
No federal source publishes Montana price levels, and the FCC map has none; check each provider's broadband facts label. Lifeline, a $9.25 monthly discount for eligible low-income households, is little used here: USAC estimates that only 6.5% of eligible Montana households take part, the 5th lowest11 rate among the states.
How many Montana homes lack broadband?
Close to one location in ten. As of June 30, 2026, 45,538 Montana homes and businesses (9.1%) had no reliable wired or licensed fixed wireless service of 25/3 Mbps, the 4th highest share among the states, and 27,919 (5.6%) had reliable service below 100/20, an underserved share that ranks the highest1. Garfield County, around Jordan, is more than half unserved.
Is fiber available at my address in Montana?
This page describes counties and the state, not addresses. Search the address on the FCC National Broadband Map to see each provider that reports service there, and file a challenge if a listing is wrong.
Checking one address in Montana
The figures on this page describe the whole area. Which providers report service at a single home or apartment is shown only on the FCC's own map: search the address at broadbandmap.fcc.gov. If a provider is listed there but cannot actually connect you within ten business days, or the location is missing or misplaced, the map has a button to file a challenge; providers must respond, and corrections flow into later releases. Prices and plans are not part of the FCC data: each provider must show them on its broadband facts label at the point of sale.
More on internet in and around Montana
Large cities with their own page: Billings.
Neighboring states: Idaho, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming. Put Montana side by side with any state or large city in the comparison tool.
| Ranking | Value | Rank (1 = highest) |
|---|---|---|
| Fiber internet availability by state | 42.5% | 47th of 51 |
| Internet speed by state: where gigabit service is offered | 44.7% | 50th of 51 |
| Broadband coverage by state | 76.1% | 49th of 51 |
| Internet provider competition by state | 18.8% | 50th of 51 |
| Unserved and underserved broadband locations by state | 9.1% | 4th of 51 |
| Where fiber has grown since 2022 | 23.5% | 33rd of 51 |
| 5G home internet and licensed fixed wireless by state | 75.8% | 46th of 51 |
| Households with an internet subscription by state | 92.7% | tied 39th of 51 |
| BEAD broadband funding by state | 4,434.0% | 29th of 50 |
Sources
- FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of June 30, 2026; Availability as of June 30, 2026; released November 10, 2026. broadbandmap.fcc.gov
- FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of June 30, 2022; Availability as of June 30, 2022; released May 10, 2024. broadbandmap.fcc.gov
- Census Bureau, Cartographic boundary file cb_2025_us_county_5m. www2.census.gov
- FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of December 31, 2025; Availability as of December 31, 2025; released November 3, 2026. broadbandmap.fcc.gov
- NTIA BroadbandUSA, BEAD Award Recipients pages; Allocations announced 2023-06-26; released June 26, 2023. broadbandusa.ntia.gov
- NTIA BroadbandUSA, BEAD Final Proposal Overview one-page PDFs. broadbandusa.ntia.gov
- Department of the Treasury, Capital Projects Fund Awards Made to States, Territories, and Freely Associated States, to date; Allocations under ARPA sec. 604 (awards announced 2022-06 to 2023). home.treasury.gov
- Department of the Treasury, spending_by_award API for Assistance Listings 10.752; Awards with action dates FY2008 to 2026-09-30. api.usaspending.gov
- USAC, CAF Disbursements and Locations Data. opendata.usac.org
- Universal Service Administrative Co., Lifeline Disbursements; Support months 2018-01 to 2026-09. opendata.usac.org
- USAC, Lifeline participation rate; released August 17, 2026. www.usac.org
- USAC, ACP Enrollments by County as of February 8, 2024; Enrolled households as of 2024-02-08 (Data Month January 2024 file). www.usac.org
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 1-year detailed tables; 2025 (calendar-year sample); released October 29, 2026. api.census.gov
- Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates; July 1, 2025; released May 14, 2026. www.census.gov
- Census Bureau, 2020 Census Block Assignment Files; released December 11, 2020. www2.census.gov
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year detailed tables; 2020-2024; released January 29, 2026. api.census.gov
Margins of error (±) are at the 90% confidence level. A difference is called significant only when it passes the Census Bureau's test at that level. How every figure is built: methodology. Found an error? Write to [email protected]; corrections are listed on the updates page.