Vision Net Company Timeline
Vision Net History
1995
1995
» Headquartered in Great Falls
» Vision Net is formed by 5 independent telephone companies to provide advanced, cutting edge distance learning and Internet services to rural Montana schools
1996
1996
» Engineered and deployed Montana’s first Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) network to support IP based services
» Montana’s first dedicated video network to support full-screen, full-motion, multipoint videoconferencing solutions for K-12 and higher education institutions
» Began providing wholesale Internet service to ISPs
1998
1998
» Vision Net increased capacity to the Internet to 4.5Mbps to support wholesale customers
2003
2003
» Vision Net opened the Technical Assistance Center (TAC) to support Internet end users
2004
2004
» Vision Net purchased the office building at 1309 NW Bypass in Great Falls
» Created the Network Operations Center (NOC) to monitor and troubleshoot 24/7/365 around the state
» Deployed our first Dense Wave Division Multiplexing (DWDM), a 2.5Gb system from Cut Bank to Havre
2005
2005
Merged with Montana Advanced Information Networks, Inc. (MAIN)
to form a combined company uniquely positioned to deliver a wide range of technical professional services. This merger added four (4) shareholders, for a combined total of nine (9). The merger also added offices in Billings and Missoula.
» Vision Net deployed Montana’s first MPLS network
» Vision Net invested in a SONET OC-192 network that provided up to 10Gb of bandwidth around the state
2006
2006
» Vision Net purchased 400Mb to the Internet for resale to our wholesale customers
» Deployed the nation’s first 911 Network using VOIP technology
» Deployed an access tandem switch to consolidate Montana’s long distance services that processed 50 million minutes of voice traffic per month beginning in October
» Established new fiber routes to Helena and Dillon
2008
2008
» Established data centers in Billings and Great Falls to provide geo-diverse hosting and cloud capabilities
» Vision Net installed our first metro fiber cable in Billings
» Established the iConnect 1030 Central data center in Billings
2009
2009
» Vision Net expanded our DWDM network that deploys technology on our fiber route between Missoula and Kalispell
2010
2010
» Vision Net expanded its presence in Great Falls with a second office building at the 1309 NW Bypass campus
» Vision Net deployed a 400G DWDM system across the core fiber network
» Established links between Chicago and Seattle
2011
2011
» Implemented IPV6 routing protocol
» Provided first Ethernet circuits to cell towers
2012
2012
» Upgraded data centers allow for improved cloud services
2013
2013
» Vision Net invests and deployed an SS7 network for voice call signaling
» Kalispell Point of Presence established
» Vision Net installs our first metro fiber in Helena
2014
2014
» Sold and configured 100Gb service from Billings to Forsyth
2015
2015
» Vision Net increased Montana’s connectivity to Seattle and Chicago to 100Gb
2016
2016
» Upgraded our MPLS network increasing capacity and redundancy around Montana
» Upgraded our data centers for PCI compliance
» Continued our metro fiber buildouts in Billings and Helena
2018
2018
» Completed phase one of our Helena metro fiber build consisting of approximately 19 miles of fiber configured in 2 rings
» Established a Business Development team to focus on business to business and enterprise sales
2019
2019
» Continued the Billings metro fiber build
» Vision Net exited the technical assistance center
2020
2020
» Vision Net owns and operates Montana’s largest independent network
» Vision Net purchases 70Gb to the Internet to support wholesale and retail customers in addition to 90 Gb of caching at our Great Falls and Billings data centers
» Making significant investments by remodeling the Great Falls and Billings offices
