For Immediate Release 

December 3, 2025

Contact: [email protected]

In case you missed it – In a recently published op-ed, Montana Internet CEO Josh Romandia made clear that smaller internet providers and rural America will suffer if policymakers make changes to the proven Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) band.

“CBRS isn’t just an ISP tool — it keeps critical community infrastructure running. Sheriffs’ departments rely on it, rural clinics use it to transfer patient data and support telehealth, and schools count on it to keep their classrooms and operations online. Jefferson County’s 911 center runs on CBRS because the system holds up under pressure. Take that reliability away, and these community institutions feel it immediately. And the families they serve end up paying more for service from national carriers, losing the option to stick with a local provider they already trust,” says Romandia.

As a smaller provider, Romandia’s Montana Internet uses CBRS to offer a locally based and reliable alternative to larger providers in their area. CBRS also provides a wider range of connectivity options for a variety of landscapes, making it ideal for Montana’s diverse terrain.

Romandia also explored the consequences of raising power levels in the CBRS band, particularly for rural communities that already face connectivity barriers.

“But power level increases to CBRS don’t just affect Montanans. The impact would stretch across rural America, where many communities already face environmental and financial barriers to modern broadband. In places like ours, with wide distances and rough terrain, CBRS works because it carries faster speeds farther than the public-spectrum options most rural providers have to rely on. That combination — reach and reliability — is exactly why these areas stand to lose the most if the rules change now,” wrote Romandia.

Romandia joins a chorus of voices across the country calling for the protection of CBRS, including Senator Steve Daines (R-MT), who sent a letter to the FCC along with nine of his colleagues, and Representative Richard Hudson (R-NC), who also sent a letter to the FCC along with 16 of his colleagues.

Read the full article here.