Event focuses on community broadband

Montana West Economic Development and the Northwest Montana Association of Realtors/MLS will be hosting a Community Broadband Initiative event on Wednesday, June 13 at Flathead Valley Community College.

The event is from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on the FVCC campus in the Arts & Technology Building, Room 139. Communities across the country are leveraging public and private investment in broadband infrastructure to insure they stay on the cutting edge of this vital technology. Join MWED and NMAR/MLS in this community discussion to: learn industry vocabulary, view maps of current infrastructure, see current providers build-out plans, hear about upgrades to health, education and community facility’s internet access, identify business models and resources other cities are using for upgrades, and strategize with others for creative solutions.

This event will organize community conversations about options to address the well-documented gap in crucial infrastructure for new technology and broadband access as demonstrated in the Flathead County’s 2017 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy community access process. The workshop will be designed to educate key players and the community at large about new public and private initiative and finance tools available throughout the country to maximize opportunity in the Valley. Break-out sessions and discussion will be facilitated with follow-up measures to create a foundation for individual communities to organize and move forward. Lunch will be provided, please RSVP.

Facilitators are Kate McMahon, Applied Communications, LLC; Paul DeWolfe, Access Consulting; and MWED staff. Register at: https://www.dobusinessinmontana.com/event/community-broadband-initiative/ or by contacting Dorothy Meyer at 406.257.7711 or Dorothy@DoBusinessInMontana.com.

Questions concerning the Community Broadband Initiative can be addressed to Kim Morisaki, MWED Business & Development Director, at 406-257-7711 or Kim@DoBusinessInMontana.com.