Tester hails $30 million for Triangle Telephone to improve broadband in central Montana

(Big Sandy, Mont.) – Senator Jon Tester today hailed the news that Triangle Telephone Cooperative will receive a $30 million loan from USDA to upgrade its system to increase speed and service quality in central Montana:

“Triangle does a great job providing reliable service to folks in central Montana. Continued investment in broadband will keep Montana small businesses connected to the global economy and ensure that families can more quickly access the information they need.”

Triangle Telephone will use the loan to upgrade its system with fiber, providing better service and faster Internet to its subscribers in Montana.

Tester, who has long advocated for greater broadband access in rural Montana, recently included language in the Fiscal Year 2016 Agriculture Appropriations bill that calls on USDA to invest in advanced networks that meet the needs of a 21st century economy.

He also urged Federal Communications Commission Chair Tom Wheeler to modernize the Universal Service Fund, a fund that provides financial assistance to telecommunications carriers who supply services to rural customers.