BILLINGS— Two fiber-optic internet companies announced plans to develop in Billings years ago but have only partially completed construction, but both are reiterating their plans haven't changed.
Ziply Fiber is approximately 30% complete with construction, and TDS Fiber is approximately 50%, according to the companies.
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“As soon as we have the right permits and the right permissions as we work with the city, we'll be back out constructing. And we hope to have the entirety of our build, the 18,000 to 20,000 addresses done by the end of 2026,” said Ziply Fiber Vice President of Marketing Ryan Luckin.
Luckin said Friday morning that Ziply Fiber is aiming to finish construction by the end of the year, but for TDS, estimates run longer.
“Based on a lot of the issues that we run into throughout the city, I would say that our best bet as of right now is 2028 that we'll have 100% done,” said TDS Fiber Field Service Manager Joshua Ferguson.
“For 2026, we're planning on handing over at least 9,000 addresses,” added Ferguson.
He said they’ve run into obstacles while developing in Billings, such as gaining permission to work through residential areas.
“We have different HOAs throughout the city that, you know, we got to get agreements with that it's okay for us to get into their neighborhood,” said Ferguson.
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Another obstacle for fiber internet companies is working around underground utilities, according to Luckin.
“If your utilities are served underground, so your power and other things, that means that we're going to have to dig in what's called the utility easement,” said Luckin.
“It just requires a little bit more construction work. So, it takes a little bit longer for different communities to get connected that way,” he added.
Fiber-optic internet is faster than cable internet because the download and upload times are the same. This is an attractive option for 4S Consulting owner Shawn Storm, who relies on high-speed internet for work.
“Right now, I can have four to six customers that can run comfortably and get everything done they need... without any delays or even like that. Just taking it up from to even a one gigabyte, one gigabyte, I'd be able to have 40 customers. So that's 10 times what I have now,” said Storm.
He said he is one person of many seeking higher speeds, naming imaging companies, mortgage companies, law firms and more as businesses that thrive off fiber-optic internet.
“Let's take an example of an imaging, healthcare imaging company. There are several in town. For them, that type of service, they're able to receive information quickly, get the files, that type of thing. But the imaging files themselves are large. So, it can take, a lot of them get batched to be done overnight because they can take 30, 40 minutes to send one file,” said Storm.
Storm said he has been watching the companies’ maps, waiting for them to start construction on the South Side, where he works.
“I look back at the history and that area has been showing us future development now for over ten and a half months with one and fifteen months with another,” said Storm.
“My biggest question is, why is there not more competition?” he added.
According to the two companies, they will be coming to the South Side, but it could take a year or more.
“I do know that we have to navigate a railroad crossing to get into that neighborhood. So, that work is going now. And again, it's another government entity that we kind of have to work with to understand how we're going to get our infrastructure across the railroad tracks without disrupting what they have going on,” said Luckin.
Ziply Fiber’s plans for the year include expanding as far north as the Billings-Logan International Airport and as far south at the South Side. From east to west, their plans include North Park to Shiloh Road.
TDS Fiber began construction at a West End site in December, near the intersection between Central Avenue and South 48th Street West, but plans to expand in the South Side, some additional areas in the Heights and more in the West End.
“I think this place has been kind of underprivileged in the internet department for a while and so we're doing the best we can to get to those areas and we will get to everybody. It's just a matter of time. Some things just take a little bit of time to get done,” said Ferguson.
