State executives visited the Vision Net office

On Wednesday, state executives visited Vision Net to gain a deeper understanding of Montana's broadband ecosystem as they manage Montana's implementation of federal broadband infrastructure investment funds.

"Vision Net provides a perfect illustration of the sophistication of Montana's rural broadband operations,"

said Geoff Feiss, General Manager of the Montana Telecommunications Association (MTA).

MTA frequently hosts state and federal government officials at Vision Net so they gain a better understanding of the advanced telecommunications network services that Montana's locally-owned, community-based broadband providers deliver.

Vision Net's Operations Manager Gary Evans showcased our Network Operations Center to visitors: Ryan Osmundson, State Budget Director, Scott Mendenhall, State ARPA Director, Tony Zammit, Deputy Chief Legal Counsel, and Liane Taylor from the Gov's budget office.

We are proud to be a proponent of more investments in the Montana communities.

Vision Net is a Story Sponsor for Rocky Erickson Sports program

Vision Net is a Story Sponsor for Rocky Erickson Sports program. Rocky is widely Known as The Montana Sports Authority & Voice of Montana High School Sports, 9x Award Winner of Montana Sportscaster of the Year Award from the National Sportscasters and Writers Association. We are proud to sponsor his show.

You can listen to our ad and Rocky's program here: https://soundcloud.com/rocky-erickson-sports/storynfl-great-got-off-to-a-slow-start

High speed broadband

More and more, reliable fast internet access is an essential service. At Vision Net, we understand this need and work to connect small internet providers in the state to the rest of the world. As a ‘middle mile carrier,’ Vision Net’s role is to route internet traffic securely across our network to where it needs to go."

Decades ago, “the internet used to be just a fun thing to have at home, and now it’s a critical service,” Gary Evans. Vision Net’s Operations Manager said. “911 is riding over our network for a good portion of the state. We carry the 911 traffic, one of the things we do behind the scenes. So, if our network goes down, a lot of people couldn't call 911.”

Currently, Montana is one of the worst states for internet connectivity; “there's a lot of dirt between light bulbs in Montana. We’re just one little town with long streets,” said Geoff Feiss, the General Manager of the Montana Telecommunications Association. The association represents locally owned service providers in the state.

Montana is “a big state, not a lot of consumers. It’s very hard to serve. It’s just an expensive place to serve,” Feiss said. The infrastructure bill being considered by the federal government could help Montana’s rural communities secure high speed internet access. “It would provide $42.5 billion for broadband infrastructure investment,” Feiss said.

A report from 2012 completed by the Federal Communications Commission found that 6% of the population still lacks access to fixed broadband service at threshold speeds. In rural areas, nearly 25% of the population lacks access to this service. Feiss and Evans hope they can help bring more access and better connection to people who need it, with fiber being the desired option. “Fiber optics is the Cadillac, the gold standard of broadband technology,” Feiss said. “It’s a reliable medium and it happens to be able to deliver as much bandwidth as you can consume.”

Vision Net remains committed to delivering secure high-speed internet to keep our state’s economy growing and providing businesses with the tools they need to flourish. Watch the special report by KRTV to learn more.

Vision Net gives to Billings TrailNet

It's that time of year; Ales for Trails is right around the corner and like last year, Vision Net donated to this great event that supports Billings extensive trail system.

Since Ales for Trails began in 2001, ticket sales and sponsorships have raised more than $1 million for the Billings trail system, allowing Billings TrailNet to contribute more than $570,000 for trail projects and amenities. Ales for Trails brings over 40 Montana microbrews, (along with fine wine and non-alcoholic beverages) live entertainment, Silent Disco, Giant Beer Pong, amazing raffle prizes, and a festive atmosphere; a welcome day of fun after last year's event went virtual.

Join Ales for Trails September 10th for the best party in Billings and help raise money for the Billings multiuse trail system. Please follow all safety guidelines while at the event

Vision Net Employees partake in the Great Falls CommUNITY Cleanup Day

As a Montana company with our Headquarters in Great Falls, Vision Net cares about the communities across our great state and we're always looking for ways to give back to our communities and contribute to their economic and cultural well-being. The CommUNITY Cleanup with NeighborWorks Great Falls was the perfect opportunity for us and for the Great Falls community!

16 Vision Net employees and their family members spent 2 hours along the banks of Garden Home Park filling over 18 bags of trash that would other wise mar the beauty of the famed Rivers Edge Trail.

Vision Net employee Bill Daniels enjoyed being able to spend time with employees he doesn't normally see during the day, helping the community, and getting outside "I put 3 miles on the pedometer!"

Another employee picked up trash along the river and unexpectedly encountered a garter snake as they reached for a discarded bottle. They were unharmed, and the snake slithered away into the river. Another employees picked up refuse that had been caught in a tree and along the riparian areas of the trail.

After the cleanup was over, all Vision Net employees enjoyed a catered lunch as a thank you by the company for their hard work and dedication. It was a great day in Great Falls, and we look forward to more opportunities to help our communities.

Learn more about the CommUNITY Cleanup event that helped several locations throughout Great Falls!

Special Olympics Montana State Summer Games Schedule

As a proud sponsor of this year's State Summer Games, Vision Net encourages fans from around the Treasure State to enjoy the festivities through Special Olympics Montana's Facebook page. Athletes have been busy practicing and gathering scores in bocce, cycling, athletics, golf, and soccer! We couldn't be more proud of the hard work and dedication that has made this spring a success. Please join us as we celebrate the accomplishments of our athletes and keep the traditions of the State Summer Games alive.

Opening Ceremony | May 12 5:30pm
Join Special Olympics Montana as we launch the 2021 State Summer Games week with Opening Ceremony. The ceremony will be led by Montana celebrities, Gianforte, and many other fans and supporters!

Closing Ceremony | May 14 5:30pm
Revel in the success of the 2021 State Summer Games during the Closing Ceremony, on Friday, May 14th, at 5:30 PM! Airing on the SOMT Facebook page, enjoy meeting the athletes as we extinguish the flame of hope.

MTN Chevy Raffle Drawing MT | May15 2pm
Special Olympics Montana will round out the 2021 State Summer Games week with the MTN Chevy Raffle Drawing!

Vision Net is a proud sponsor of Special Olympics Montana Summer Games

The mission of Special Olympics Montana is to “...provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.”

The mission of Vision Net is to “deliver innovative and reliable communications technology solutions that enable our customers to securely access, store, process and backup the information that is vital to their success.” Vision Net guides our business based on rural values of cooperation, accountability and commitment to quality service and support.

Sponsoring the 2021 Summer Games is a natural fit for Vision Net because we care about the viability of our communities, people, and businesses. This year’s games will take place in Bozeman and will look different due to social distancing guidelines. But what won’t change is the determination, skill, and heart Special Olympics Montana athletes bring to the games. They inspire us, and we’re proud to support them.

Watch the games and live events via Special Olympic Montana’s YouTube page, and follow them on Facebook to stay up-to-date on all events, ceremonies, and celebrations!

Weighing the Advantages of 5G: What’s in it for rural states?

by Corey Jensen

A friend reached out to me recently asking about 5G and what it could mean for his business. His question was timely, and it’s a topic I’ve been thinking about quite a bit lately. You can’t turn on the TV, scan social media or open a newspaper or magazine without facing a litany of ads touting 5G as the next best thing.

But is 5G all it’s cracked up to be? And if it is, what does it mean for those of us living and working in a rural state like Montana?

Let’s start with the basics. 5G mobile network technology is the next iteration of wireless connectivity, designed to deliver faster and more reliable service. Notice the word mobile. Like its predecessor 4G, 5G is the connection between a tower and your device, be it a cell phone, smartwatch, or tablet. Proximity to that tower is critical. The best estimates suggest that you need to be within 1,500 feet of a tower to fully reap the rewards. The best scenario—and the one touted most often—is that 5G promises a futuristic landscape of autonomous cars, enhanced machine-to-machine communication, and manufacturing plants run entirely by AI-controlled robots. If it all feels a little bit like Star Trek meets the Jetsons, that’s because it is.

Building out a 5G network and the many towers required to support it won’t be cheap. Large mobile wireless carriers will need to ask themselves if it makes financial sense to invest in this infrastructure in less densely populated areas where usage will be low. More specifically, how long will it take to earn back that investment and begin reaping a profit? It doesn’t take an MBA to realize that for many of these companies, the better investment will be in larger, more densely- populated urban areas.

If this sounds like bad news, let me offer some good news.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), through several funding mechanisms, is funneling billions of dollars into shoring up broadband services in rural America. This means that high-speed broadband fiber will soon be accessible to large swaths of rural areas. For many Montanans, this presents a significant improvement over what they’ve been relying on, which is often spotty connectivity and slower speeds. Plus, fiber is ideal in rural settings because the signal doesn’t degrade as it moves away from its source. In other words, there’s no need to be close to a cell tower.

This strengthens the case for fiber in rural settings. Vision Net has already made key fiber investments in Helena and Billings to address exactly these issues, providing a fast and reliable connection for businesses and schools in the area.

This isn’t to say 5G won’t eventually arrive in Montana, but it does seem likely that rural states such as ours may be a bit further down the receiving line. And when it does arrive, you can count on the urban areas of Montana getting 5G well before our rural communities.

In all reality, a mix of fiber and 5G wireless-based broadband will be available across our state for all to utilize. For example, a bank would rely on fiber to run its operating and business processing systems internally, while client-facing services that use apps and websites might leverage 5G to provide a rich customer experience.

So, how will you position your business for this upcoming revolution?

Whether it’s fiber, 5G, or both, my advice is to think through how your business can monetize these bandwidth and connectivity improvements and how best to position your firm to be ready for them when they arrive. In my friend’s case, warehouse automation may provide a much-needed solution to his ongoing challenge to fill empty factory positions.

Another suggestion is to observe how others in your industry are already leveraging broadband and begin formulating your own plan from there. Farmers and ranchers across Montana, for example, may want to look at how drones and other broadband technologies are positively impacting the ag industry, with better monitoring systems for land, livestock, and irrigation that deliver improved efficiencies and cost savings.

And you may want to ponder this question: What are some fiber-backed internal processes that could be implemented to support new technology opportunities when they arrive?

Thomas Edison said “Good fortune is what happens when opportunity meets with planning.” I think it’s fair to say opportunity abounds in the telecom space. Planning for both the short term and long term will be key to meeting this opportunity head-on. 

Vision Net gives $10,000 to Billings TrailNet

Long time sponsor and Ales for Trails organizer gives big to help the group raise needed funds

In normal years, Ales for Trails would be right around the corner, and Billings TrailNet would be looking forward to hosting a big group at ZooMontana and raising more than $100,000 for trails. But as social distancing requirements curtail plans for the big event, long-time sponsor Vision Net, a business-to-business telecom company, has stepped up to give the first $10,000 to the group’s fundraising goal of $120,000.

Vision Net’s president and CEO, Corey Jensen, has a special history with the event, dating back nearly 20 years. Jensen was on some of the Ales for Trails organizing committees and has been involved in Ales for Trails ever since.

Says Jensen, “I use the trail right outside my house with my family almost every evening. We appreciate the trail system and want to see it grow for everyone to be able to use.”

And without donations from private citizens and businesses who see a benefit in the trails, trail development would nearly come to a standstill.

For this reason, Billings TrailNet must raise $120,000 annually to continue their work. This recent donation from Vision Net kicks off Billings TrailNet’s Virtual Ales for Trails event, where the group hopes to raise $60,000 from a city-wide a radio-a-thon on August 18.

“Radio stations and breweries in Billings have been amazingly supportive and are helping us host this virtual event,” says Kristi Drake, Billings TrailNet’s executive director. “This community has really come together because, especially during this pandemic, people are getting more use out of the trails than ever.”

The radio-a-thon is scheduled for August 18, with 10 radio stations participating to raise money for trails that day. People can text their donations to 406-412-2223 and prizes will be raffled every hour of the radio-a-thon that day.

For those who would like to donate and enjoy microbrews, Billings TrailNet has worked with breweries in Billings and around the state to provide an Ales for Trails punch card coupon, available for purchase on the Ales for Trails website and also at The Base Camp, The Spoke Shop and Yellowstone Fitness. The punch card provides one pint at 10 Billings breweries and Yellowstone Cellars, plus 12 popular breweries in Montana communities such as Wibaux, Miles City, Bozeman, Harlowton, Helena, Missoula, and Hamilton. The punch card coupon, valued at more than $90, can be purchased for $50.

Vision Net is a telecommunications company that provides a full suite of business-to-business IT solutions to financial services, healthcare, government, professional, and educational clients, allowing them to innovate and expand in Montana and beyond, with offices in Billings, Great Falls, Helena, and Missoula.

Other Ales for Trails sponsors this year include Spectrum Reach, Opportunity Bank, KULR 8, EconoPrint, Desert Mountain Broadcasting, The Billings Gazette, Mojo Radio, KTVQ and corporate members including The Base Camp, The Spoke Shop, KOA, Electrical Consultants, Inc., Sanderson Stewart, Yellowstone Fitness, Cushing Terrell, EconoPrint, Mailing Technical Services, Morrison Maierle, Moulton Bellingham, KARS, Boothill Inn, Axilon Law, First Interstate Bank and Dovetail Designs.

More information about Ales for Trails is available at AlesforTrails.org.

Billings TrailNet is a nonprofit (501c3), grassroots organization whose mission is to promote a complete, community-wide trail system. Our vision is the Billings area as a premier community for healthy lifestyles and active transportation where biking and walking are safe and an integral part of everyday activity. Learn more at www.billingstrailnet.org or call 406-281-1244.

CEO Corey Jensen joined Hello Montana to discuss Ales for Trails sponsorship

Kristi Drake from Billings TrailNet and our CEO Corey Jensen joined Hello Montana to discuss the upcoming Ales for Trails and how the event is going to operate this year. Vision Net is proud to partner with them in investing in the Billings community. Watch the full interview below:

You can support Ales for Trails 2020 by purchasing a punch card, and enjoy a virtual tour of our great state here.