CEO Message - Jan/Feb 2024

Triangle continues to look forward to the future and as this is the first letter in 2024 from Triangle, I want to wish you all a Happy New Year and hope you enjoyed a great Christmas holiday. I want to thank my team for a wonderful year and am looking forward to another great year!

As the weather turns colder, Triangle continues to push to get fiber to all our members. Construction is complete in the Big Timber North, South Chester, and Geraldine. The amount of rock in Big Timber South continues to hold us up and we continue to work on closing the gap in the area to finish as soon as we can. Triangle continues to secure private easements in our 2024 project areas including Springdale, Martinsdale, Hays and finishing the Big Timber area. Triangle continues to work with our members and nonmember landowners; however, if we cannot secure the remaining easements in the areas held by non-members, Triangle will have to develop other routes.

Triangle accepted the Enhanced Alternative Connect America Model (EACAM) which will provide a fixed amount of funding from USF to continue to deploy a high-speed network which will deliver high-speed broadband service. The EACAM models the forward-looking economic costs of deploying a high-speed and delivering broadband service. Carriers that have elected to receive EACAM funding must meet certain service requirements which includes maintaining existing voice networks and broadband networks capable of speeds of 100 Mbps downstream/20 Mbps upstream. As we work to finish our network, Triangle is looking to increase its speeds to all members. Please look for an announcement in 2024.

Thank you all for being a member of the cooperative and for all the support you have given the cooperative over the years!! As always, stay healthy and stay safe!