Exciting News: Rob Worden Elected to INDATEL Services Board of Managers

We are proud to share that Rob Worden has been elected to the INDATEL Services Board of Managers!

This achievement reflects Rob’s strong leadership and deep industry expertise. His appointment will not only strengthen Vision Net’s role within INDATEL, but also enhance our influence in advancing broadband connectivity across rural and underserved communities.

Rob’s strategic insight will play a key role in helping shape the future of broadband on a national scale.

👉 Read the full announcement to learn more about this exciting milestone!

Meet Darryl – A Mission-Driven Professional Joining the Vision Net Team

Darryl brings a wealth of experience to Vision Net, having served in various IT roles within the Department of Defense and government contracting. He also spent 7 years on active duty in the United States Air Force. These experiences have shaped both his technical expertise and his commitment to excellence in mission-focused environments.

What attracted him to Vision Net?

For Darryl, joining Vision Net felt like a series of divine encounters. He felt led by God to move to Great Falls—even before having a job lined up. After making the move in faith, everything fell into place, including the opportunity to join Vision Net. He says the transition truly felt meant to be.

What does his role involve?

In his role, Darryl helps facilitate and coordinate efforts between the NOC, Engineering, Data, and Networking teams to ensure Vision Net continues delivering the high-quality service customers rely on. He also strives to support leadership in any way necessary to help the company succeed.

What is he most excited about in his new position?

Darryl is energized by the exciting period of growth and transformation happening at Vision Net. It feels like being on the ground floor of something big, and he is thrilled to be part of the company’s expansion—one that will solidify Vision Net as the largest data and telecommunications provider in Montana and eventually, a leader beyond the state.

What does he enjoy outside of work?

Outside the office, Darryl loves spending time with his family, working out, and staying active through outdoor and fitness-related activities. He also enjoys reading books and news, watching football and basketball, and unwinding with a little YouTube.

What’s his favorite thing about living in Montana?

Although he is new to the state, Darryl already appreciates the friendliness of the people and the laid-back atmosphere in Great Falls. He’s excited to explore Montana’s outdoor activities and experience everything the state has to offer.

If he could have any superpower…

He would choose time travel—past or future. Time is one of the most precious resources, and the ability to experience or influence it would be incredible.

Fun Bonus Questions

Where is he from originally?
As a military brat, “home” is a complex answer. Darryl was born at Grand Forks AFB in North Dakota, spent much of his childhood and all of his middle school, high school, and college years in Colorado, and most recently lived in Colorado Springs—so Colorado feels like home.

One word to describe him:
Loyal.

Something people would be surprised to learn:
How many kids he has!

If he could instantly become an expert in anything:
Earning and making money.

Go-to work snack or drink:
Anything protein-related—bars, shakes, chips, or even protein cookies or brownies.

Most unusual job he’s ever had:
Classified documents waste management mitigation.

Favorite quote or motto:
“Righteousness [moral and spiritual integrity and virtuous character] exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.” – Proverbs 14:34

What’s on his bucket list?
Visit the ancient churches of Revelation and the Noah’s Ark landing site in Turkey.

TV show or movie everyone should watch at least once:
The Case for Christ.

If his life had a theme song:
“Never Would’ve Made It.”

Vision Net’s 23rd Annual Golf Tournament – A Day of Community, Competition, and Connection

Vision Net celebrated another successful year of camaraderie and community at our 23rd Annual Golf Tournament, bringing together clients, partners, and employees for a day of fun on the course. This long-standing tradition not only highlights our commitment to building strong relationships, but also showcases the spirit of teamwork that defines Vision Net.

A Tradition of Bringing People Together

For more than two decades, our golf tournament has been one of our most anticipated events of the year. It offers a relaxed environment for networking, friendly competition, and strengthening the partnerships that help drive innovation and connectivity across Montana and beyond.

Great Weather, Great People, Great Play

This year’s tournament featured:

The weather cooperated, the atmosphere was upbeat, and the course provided the perfect backdrop for a memorable day.

Thank You to Our Participants and Sponsors

Events like this wouldn’t be possible without the support of our amazing sponsors and participants. Your involvement helps us continue this tradition year after year, and we’re grateful for the relationships we’ve built through this event.

Looking Ahead

As Vision Net continues to grow and support businesses and communities with reliable technology solutions, events like our annual golf tournament remind us of the importance of connection—not just through networks and infrastructure, but through people.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the 23rd Annual Golf Tournament.
We look forward to seeing you at the 24th!

Employee Spotlight: Get to Know Daniel Betcher

Daniel’s IT and Security journey began six years ago, after spending nearly 13 years as a group home manager. His first IT role was with the Great Falls Public School District as a TST (help desk). From there, he became a one-man IT team for RE Services before being offered an ISSO (Information Systems Security Officer) role with the State of Montana Lottery Division. After two years there, he joined Columbia Grain as a Support Engineer 2—and now, he’s part of Vision Net.

He also holds an impressive list of industry certifications, including:
CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+, CySA+, PenTest+, Project+, multiple CompTIA stackable certifications, and ISC2 SSCP.

What attracted you to Vision Net?

Having lived in the area for more than 30 years, Daniel has always known Vision Net as a strong presence in the community. When he learned more about what Vision Net does and the direction the company is heading, he realized it aligned perfectly with where he wants to take his career.

What does your role involve?

As an IT Administrator, Daniel wears many hats. He handles Help Desk requests, builds and manages SharePoint and the internal intranet, sets proper access controls, and helps create Forms and Power Automate flows to streamline tasks across departments. He also helps implement new security software, assists with security-related tasks, and tackles any additional projects assigned throughout the day.

What are you most excited about in your new position?

Daniel is excited for the opportunity to showcase his skillset while continuing to grow and learn. He’s looking forward to collaborating with others who have expertise in different areas and helping drive Vision Net forward into new and existing ventures.

What hobbies or activities do you enjoy outside of work?

He enjoys camping, fishing, reading, and teaching his daughters how to play sports. He also stays sharp by keeping up with the rapidly changing IT/Security landscape and experimenting in his home lab on the custom computer he built.

What’s the best place you’ve traveled to—and why?

Hawaii, because it was his family’s first major trip together—and it was his daughter’s first time seeing the ocean.

What’s your favorite thing about living in Montana?

The beautiful landscapes, the wide-open spaces, and the low population.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be—and why?

Immortality, so he would never miss out on anything from now until the end of time.

Fun Bonus Questions

Where are you from originally?
Minnesota.

One word to describe yourself:
Determined.

Something people would be surprised to learn:
He is currently learning four languages: Korean, Spanish, German, and French.

If you could instantly become an expert in something…
Building proprietary LLMs (Large Language Models) to offer as a service to a distinct clientele.

Go-to work snack or drink:
Celsius energy drinks.

Most unusual job you’ve ever had:
Cash Office Specialist at Target.

Favorite quote or motto:
“Try not to become a man of success but rather become a man of value.” – Albert Einstein

What’s on your bucket list?

TV show or movie everyone should watch at least once:
Big Trouble in Little China

If your life had a theme song, what would it be?
“Eye of the Tiger”

Celebrating 30 Years of Vision Net Three Decades of Innovation, Connectivity & Community

This year, Vision Net proudly celebrates a major milestone—30 years of service, growth, and impact.

Founded in 1995 through a visionary partnership among Montana’s telephone cooperatives, Vision Net has evolved into a leading technology and telecommunications provider. From our humble beginnings to statewide and national reach, our mission has remained steadfast: to connect Montana with reliable, cutting-edge technology backed by exceptional customer service.

 

Built in Montana. For Montana.

Vision Net was born from a bold idea: every community—rural or urban—deserves access to world-class technology. Over the years, we’ve expanded our offerings to meet the evolving needs of our clients, including:

With offices and data centers in Billings, Great Falls, Helena, and Missoula, we continue to serve Montana’s businesses, government agencies, healthcare providers, schools, and carriers with locally supported, enterprise-grade technology.

 

30 Years of Milestones

Our journey has been marked by innovation and impact. Some of our proudest achievements include:

Through every chapter, our commitment to innovation, reliability, and community service has remained at the heart of everything we do.

Vision Net’s success is driven by the incredible people behind it—our employees, clients, partners, and cooperative members. Many have been with us for years, even decades, and their dedication has shaped our culture of integrity, service, and collaboration.

 

Looking Ahead: The Next Chapter

While we honor our past, we’re focused on the future. Vision Net continues to invest in:

As the demand for speed, security, and reliability grows, Vision Net is ready to lead—just as we have for the past 30 years.

 

From our Montana roots to our vision for tomorrow, Vision Net’s 30-year journey is a story of growth, innovation, and connection. Here’s to 30 years of empowering Montana—and to many more years of serving the communities and businesses we proudly support.

Thank you for being part of our story.

Visionary Award: Darrell Ogg

We are thrilled to celebrate Darrell Ogg as the recipient of the Visionary Award for his exceptional initiative, resourcefulness, and dedication in solving a persistent operational issue. His innovative approach exemplifies the core values that drive Vision Net forward.

Bold: Darrell took the initiative to address an operational challenge that had been affecting clients for months. His proactive efforts ensured a resolution that benefited both clients and Vision Net.

Frugal: Demonstrating remarkable resourcefulness, Darrell leveraged existing tools and resources to solve the technical issues. Rather than defaulting to costly new solutions, he maximized the capabilities of Vision Net’s current technology stack.

Obsessive: The solution required a laser-focused effort and collaboration with two separate vendors. Darrell’s persistence and attention to detail were key to overcoming the challenges.

Resilient: By implementing this solution, Darrell positioned Vision Net to expand its offerings in this vertical without adding unnecessary complexity or cost to the technical stack.

Issue and Solution Overview A couple of Vision Net’s existing managed service clients were experiencing intermittent connectivity issues with their wireless networks. These networks rely on 4G (Baicells) for distribution and Wi-Fi (Juniper MIST) for access, with one client also utilizing security cameras. The connectivity challenges prevented the clients from fully utilizing their product suite.

Darrell’s solution began with extensive research into Juniper’s capabilities. He identified a configuration change that was necessary to support the clients’ specific use cases. Collaborating closely with Juniper resources, he set up a test environment to replicate the client-side setup and validate the new configurations. Once the solution was tested and refined, Darrell worked with the operations team to implement the changes and stayed involved until the issues were fully resolved and stabilized.

Impact Thanks to Darrell’s efforts, Vision Net is now well-positioned to advance its planned service package for outdoor hospitality clients. This offering includes security cameras, 4G distribution, and Wi-Fi access via known and trusted platforms. By resolving these challenges, Darrell has not only enhanced the client experience but also enabled Vision Net to grow in this market segment with confidence.

Congratulations, Darrell, on this well-deserved recognition! Your dedication and vision continue to inspire us all.

Employee Spotlight: Matt Fowler

We are thrilled to welcome Matt Fowler as Vision Net’s new Account Executive! Matt grew up in Monroe, WA, and moved to Montana in the mid-1990s. He began his career in sales with CellularOne, where he developed his skills in customer engagement and relationship building. In 2001, he joined Verizon Wireless as a Business Account Executive, dedicating nearly two decades to the company. During his time at Verizon, he primarily managed Public Sector accounts across Montana and Idaho, creating tailored solutions to meet the unique needs of government clients. After Verizon, he transitioned to Extreme Networks, a competitor of Cisco and Juniper, where he served as a Government Account Manager. In this role, Matt oversaw accounts in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon, focusing on delivering advanced networking solutions to public sector organizations. Most recently, Matt has taken on the role of Senior Account Executive at Zayo, working on the Priority Acquisitions team. In this position, he leveraged his extensive experience in telecommunications and networking to drive strategic growth and enhance client relationships across various sectors.

In his personal life, Matt has been happily married to his wonderful partner, Michele, for 20 years. Together, they are blessed with three amazing children: McKinzie, 25; Madison, 19; and Cole, 18. They reside in Florence, Montana, where they have created lasting memories in the only home they've shared throughout their two decades together.

What attracted you to Vision Net?

I am drawn to Vision Net for several compelling reasons. Firstly, I appreciate that it is a small, Montana-based company, which resonates with my values and commitment to supporting local businesses. Throughout my career, I have sold in five different states, but I find the relationships I build with the people of Montana to be the most rewarding. Moreover, I have been consistently impressed by the professionalism and dedication of the Vision Net team members I have interacted with. Their commitment to providing innovative and reliable telecommunications solutions is evident in every engagement. Finally, I am eager to contribute to a company that is not only focused on growth but also committed to achieving success in a principled manner. Working with Vision Net aligns perfectly with my desire to be part of a thriving organization that prioritizes integrity and community impact.

What are some of the responsibilities you have in your role?

As a new hire at Vision Net, my responsibilities as an Account Executive include acquiring new clients and managing relationships with existing ones. I am focused on driving sales growth by identifying and pursuing business opportunities through lead generation, networking, and cold outreach. My role involves managing the entire sales cycle, from the initial contact to closing deals, ensuring that I provide a seamless experience for clients. I also prioritize cultivating strong relationships with clients to ensure their satisfaction, address any concerns, and explore opportunities for upselling or cross-selling our services. Collaboration is key in my position; I work closely with the VP of Sales and our Engineers to develop effective sales strategies and achieve assigned sales goals. Staying informed about industry trends and market conditions is essential to effectively position our products and services. Additionally, I maintain accurate documentation of all sales activities in Vision Net's Customer Resource Management (CRM) platform, which helps in managing my pipeline of qualified leads.

What are you most excited about in your new role here?

Overall, I am excited to contribute to a company that values integrity and community impact while striving for growth and success in the telecommunications industry.

What hobbies or activities do you enjoy outside of work?

I have a variety of hobbies and activities that I enjoy outside of work. Soccer has always been a deep passion for me; I grew up playing competitively and continued my journey at Seattle University, where I played in college. After moving to Montana, I remained active in the sport and took the initiative to open the first indoor soccer arena in Western Montana, known as MISA (Missoula Indoor Soccer Arena), in 2013. Currently, I play with and help operate an over-40 soccer club called the Missoula Old Boys. I also love other outdoor activities that Montana has to offer, including skiing, hiking, fishing, and boating.

What's the best place you've traveled to and why?

That’s a hard one. I haven’t done a lot of traveling outside of the United States. I think I am going to have to say Mexico. We took a family trip that was just incredible. The weather, where we stayed, and that time in my family's life is what made it so special. I might have said Hawaii, but I almost died there a couple of times (I’ll save those stories for another time).

What is your favorite thing about living in Montana?

I have already mentioned many of the reasons I love living in Montana, but to add to it, it’s the people, the beauty, the seasons, and quite simply the way of life. I moved back to the Seattle area for a couple of years from 1999-2001. I couldn’t get back to Montana quick enough!

If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?

If I could have a superpower, it would be to teleport. I could quickly and easily see all of the places this amazing world has to offer (and for no cost!), connect with family and friends no matter where they are located, and quickly try to help those in need.

Please join us in welcoming Matt to the Vision Net family!

Vision Net Unveils the Mountain West Region's First 800Gb/s Network with Major Phase 1 Upgrade

GREAT FALLS, Mont., January 8, 2025 (Newswire.com) - Vision Net, a leading provider of network and technology solutions for carriers, enterprise businesses, healthcare organizations, and educational institutions, announced a series of significant network upgrades aimed at increasing bandwidth options for clients. The upgrade introduces the Mountain West region's first 800Gb/s network, setting a new benchmark for speed, capacity, and reliability.

The investment reflects Vision Net's ongoing commitment to delivering cutting-edge solutions and enhancing service offerings across its entire network. The upgrade will significantly expand bandwidth capabilities and improve service delivery for Vision Net's diverse clientele.

The 800Gb/s network infrastructure enhances interconnection between Vision Net's two data centers in Billings, MT, enabling faster, more efficient cloud services and a stronger native network. This will empower businesses with unparalleled connectivity and accelerate the delivery of high-performance services.

Vision Net's 800Gb/s network leverages Ciena's (NYSE:CIEN) innovative optical and multi-layer network control technologies. Ciena's 6500WaveLogic 5 Extreme 800Gb/s transceivers and programmable photonics make possible higher capacities at a lower cost and eliminate the need for frequent regeneration. Additionally, Ciena's Navigator Network Control Suite, featuring Liquid Spectrum, allows dynamic scaling of line rates to meet evolving customer requirements. To meet project deadlines, Ciena Services provided integration of the solution-including design, staging, deployment, turnup, and testing - and is providing maintenance services to ensure optimal network performance.

"As demand for higher bandwidth continues to grow, we are committed to staying ahead of the curve with investments that make a real difference for our clients and communities," said Rob Worden, President and CEO of Vision Net. "These upgrades are designed to not only improve the quality of service today, but also position our network to handle the evolving needs of our clients into the future."

The Phase 1 upgrade is just the beginning. Vision Net will expand its network coverage regionally, with plans to extend services to Bozeman, MT, by spring 2025. This expansion will help businesses access reliable, high-bandwidth services, positioning Vision Net as a key driver of regional economic growth.

"Vision Net is an established leader in the Mountain West region, and these forward-looking technology upgrades exemplify their proactive approach to fortifying their network to seamlessly satisfy escalating bandwidth demands," said Kevin Sheehan, CTO of the Americas, Ciena.

In addition to regional expansion, Vision Net is integrating advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, into its network architecture. The company is also investing in further data center facility improvements to meet the demands of an increasingly digital-first world.

Vision Net's 800Gb/s network is setting the stage for even greater innovation and service offerings in the coming years. As the company continues to expand its footprint and enhance its technology stack, it remains dedicated to providing the highest level of customer satisfaction and ensuring that clients have access to the best network and cloud-based solutions available.

Notably, Vision Net is also utilizing Ciena's routing and switching solutions, including the 5164 Router and 8110 Coherent Aggregation Router, in its network infrastructure to power the efficient provisioning of carrier-managed services.

For more information about Vision Net's network upgrades or to learn more about their services, visit www.vision.net.

Employee Spotlight: Sean Waters

We’re excited to introduce Sean Waters as Vision Net’s new Supply Chain Manager! With 30 years of experience in Operations and Supply Chain, especially in metal fabrication, Sean brings a wealth of knowledge to our team. Welcome, Sean!

What made you choose Vision Net?
I worked with Bob Terwilliger in the past, and both he and Rob really sold me on the company's vision and future.

What will you be focusing on in your role?
I’ll be managing our Inventory Management and Purchasing, working to optimize inventory turns and streamline processes.

What excites you most about this role?
Putting systems in place to help Vision Net grow and boost profitability.

Fun facts about Sean

Please join us in welcoming Sean to the Vision Net family!

Employee Spotlight: Leza Beattie

Meet Leza Beattie, our new Executive Office Administrator in Great Falls! Originally from South Africa, Leza has called Great Falls home for the past 15 years. With a rich background in Human Resources, Marketing, and Non-Profit Resource Development, we are excited to welcome her to Vision Net.

Here’s a quick Q&A with Leza:

What drew you to Vision Net?
The position felt like a great fit for my diverse background. I was intrigued by telecommunications and excited to learn more!

What are your main responsibilities?
I’ll be supporting the Executive Leadership Team and serving as the key liaison between the ELT, the company, shareholders, and the communities Vision Net serves.

What excites you most about your new role?
Being part of new strategies that will help move Vision Net forward.

Favorites

Hobbies or talents?
I love planning and hosting themed events—from weddings to holiday parties!

We’re thrilled to have Leza on board and can’t wait to see the impact she’ll make!