Blackfoot
Blackfoot Communications is a member-owned telephone cooperative founded in 1954 that delivers fiber and DSL broadband internet plus voice services to residential, small business, and carrier customers across Western Montana and Eastern Idaho.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1954
- HeadquartersMissoula, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Blackfoot does
Blackfoot Communications is a member-owned telephone cooperative founded in 1954 that provides residential and business telecommunications services across Western Montana and Eastern Idaho. The company delivers broadband internet via fiber-to-the-premises and DSL infrastructure, supplemented by Calix GigaSpire routers and Zyxel modems, with fiber offering speeds up to 10 Gig and the Blackfoot Connect mobile app enabling smart-home device management, parental controls, and network monitoring. Its product portfolio is structured as tiered subscription plans — Social Broadband ($63/mo), Stream Broadband ($83/mo), and Connected Home ($98/mo) for internet, plus Premium Voice ($36/mo) and Basic Voice ($25-$26/mo) for home phone — with 2025 add-ons (Tech Connect, Connected Family, Simple & Secure) layering performance, family safety, and accessible security features on top of base connectivity.
The cooperative generates recurring monthly subscription revenue from a predominantly residential subscriber base, reaching customers through phone-based inside sales (866-541-5000), self-serve website ordering, and physical offices in Missoula MT (headquarters), Bozeman MT, and St. Anthony ID. Sub-brands segment the go-to-market: Blackfoot Small Business, Blackfoot Business (Enterprise), Blackfoot Carrier Services (wholesale), and Blackfoot Communications (corporate). Marketing emphasizes community engagement via Annual Member Meetings and a Tech Tips blog covering cybersecurity, fiber benefits, and WiFi optimization. Operationally, Blackfoot has executed an ongoing multi-million-dollar fiber modernization project since 2016 to replace aging copper with fiber optics, and acquired Cutthroat Communications in 2012 to expand regional network assets. The company is led by CEO Jason Williams, CTO Dave Martin, and CFO Stacey Mueller, with no external parent or institutional ownership beyond historical funding from Canaan Partners and Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation in 2006.
Blackfoot firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Blackfoot
- Legal name
- Blackfoot Communications
- Website
- https://blackfoot.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1954
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Blackfoot Communications is a member-owned telephone cooperative founded in 1954 that delivers fiber and DSL broadband internet plus voice services to residential, small business, and carrier customers across Western Montana and Eastern Idaho.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Blackfoot industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Residential Broadband Internet and Voice Services
- NAICS
- Wired Telecommunications Carriers (517111), Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (51711)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fiber ISPs (FTTH/FTTP Retail Providers) (HDAIADAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Rural & Regional ISPs (HDAIADAI), DSL Broadband Providers (xDSL) (HDAIABAD)
Keywords
Where Blackfoot is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Missoula
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Blackfoot business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Internet Service Subscriptions: Monthly subscription fees for residential broadband internet services delivered via fiber and DSL technologies. Plans include equipment, security features, firmware updates, and remote support bundled into monthly pricing.
- Voice Service Subscriptions: Monthly fees for home phone services including Premium Voice (unlimited long-distance) and Basic Voice (unlimited local calling) with optional add-on features.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Social Broadband - 15M download speed for basic internet use |
| Subscription | Monthly | Stream Broadband - 25M download speed for streaming and gaming |
| Subscription | Monthly | Connected Home - 40M download speed for multiple connected devices |
| Subscription | Monthly | Premium Voice - Unlimited long-distance with calling features |
| Subscription | Monthly | Basic Voice - Unlimited local calling |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Blackfoot product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Blackfoot Communications sells residential and business broadband internet (delivered over fiber-to-the-premises and DSL) and home phone (voice) services as monthly subscriptions to homes and businesses in Western Montana and Eastern Idaho. Plans bundle state-of-the-art equipment, security features, firmware updates, remote support, free device replacement, inside wiring repair, and access to the Blackfoot Connect mobile app into recurring monthly pricing.
Product overview
Blackfoot Communications is a telecommunications cooperative providing residential internet and phone services in Western Montana and Eastern Idaho. The company offers a unified product portfolio centered on two core service categories: broadband internet (delivered via Fiber and DSL technologies) and home phone voice services. Internet plans are structured in tiers (Social Broadband, Stream Broadband, Connected Home) with premium feature add-ons (Tech Connect, Connected Family, Simple & Secure) that provide enhanced performance, security, and family management capabilities. Voice services include Premium Voice (unlimited long-distance with features) and Basic Voice (local calling only). The Blackfoot Connect mobile app serves as a companion tool enabling customers to manage their home network, devices, and parental controls. The company also provides its own equipment including Calix GigaSpire routers and Zyxel modems. Blackfoot operates under distinct business segment brands for different market segments: blackfoot.com for residential, blackfootsmallbusiness.com, blackfootbusiness.com for enterprise, blackfootcarrierservices.com for wholesale, and blackfootcommunications.com for corporate.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Blackfoot Small Business: Business services for small business customers
- Blackfoot Business (Enterprise)
- Blackfoot Carrier Services
- Blackfoot Communications (Corporate)
- Blackfoot Connect
Products and services
- Social Broadband Entry-level residential broadband internet plan delivering 15 Mbps download speeds for basic activities such as social media, email browsing, streaming music, and sharing photos. Priced at $63/month with equipment, security features, firmware updates, remote support, device replacement, inside wiring repair, and the Blackfoot Connect mobile app bundled in.
- Stream Broadband Mid-tier residential broadband internet plan offering 25 Mbps download speeds, designed for streaming media, online gaming, and video chat without buffering. Priced at $83/month with bundled equipment, security, support, and mobile app.
- Connected Home Premium residential broadband internet plan offering 40 Mbps download speeds suitable for a smart home with several regularly connected devices and users. Priced at $98/month with bundled equipment, security, support, and mobile app.
- Premium Voice Home phone service offering unlimited long-distance calling, with Unified Voicemail Plus and the Calling Features Bundle (Automatic Recall, Call Waiting, Caller ID, Three-Way Calling, Call Forwarding, Anonymous Call Rejection, Call Guardian, and more) included. Priced at $36/month as a stand-alone service, with best value when bundled with internet.
- Basic Voice Entry-level home phone service offering unlimited local calling with optional add-on features (such as the Calling Features Bundle). Priced at $26/month in Montana and $25/month in Idaho as a stand-alone service.
- Blackfoot Connect Mobile App Standalone iOS and Android application that lets residential subscribers manage devices on their home network, parental controls, speed and data usage monitoring, and guest network creation. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store under the name "Blackfoot Smart Home".
Quantifiable outcome
- Fiber internet speeds up to 10 Gig for download and upload
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Blackfoot
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Blackfoot technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Blackfoot partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Blackfoot competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Charter Communications (Spectrum): Spectrum is the dominant cable broadband provider in many Montana markets and competes head-on with Blackfoot's residential broadband offering on speed and bundled pricing.
- Frontier Communications: Frontier is a large incumbent fiber/copper operator focused on rural and suburban markets across multiple states, offering an overlapping fiber-to-the-home and voice product portfolio similar to Blackfoot's.
- Consolidated Communications: Consolidated is a regional incumbent telco delivering fiber broadband, DSL, and voice services to residential and business customers in rural/small-town America — comparable geographic and product mix to Blackfoot.
- Lumen Technologies (CenturyLink): Lumen operates a national wireline network with significant residential fiber and DSL presence in the Mountain West, including Montana and Idaho, making it a direct competitor in Blackfoot's footprint.
Direct peers
- TDS Telecom (Telephone and Data Systems): TDS Telecom is a regional ILEC providing fiber, DSL, and voice services to rural and small-town communities across the U.S., directly comparable to Blackfoot's rural cooperative model and service mix.
- Range Telephone Cooperative: Range Telephone Cooperative is a member-owned rural telecom in Montana offering fiber, DSL, and voice services — a closely analogous cooperative peer in adjacent geography.
- Mid-Rivers Communications: Mid-Rivers is a Montana-based telephone cooperative delivering broadband and voice to rural communities, sharing the cooperative ownership model and regional fiber/DSL mix with Blackfoot.
Emerging players
- Viasat: Viasat provides satellite broadband to rural and underserved households, competing with Blackfoot where fiber/DSL is not yet available in its Montana/Idaho footprint.
- T-Mobile Home Internet: T-Mobile's fixed wireless home internet service targets rural and suburban households across the U.S., competing with Blackfoot on price and ease of installation in its coverage footprint.
Others
- Calix: Calix is the vendor of Blackfoot's GigaSpire routers and a key enabling supplier of fiber broadband platforms to rural telcos and cooperatives, making it an ecosystem-relevant comparable for Blackfoot's network economics.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Blackfoot social profiles
Digital presenceBlackfoot financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Blackfoot leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Blackfoot funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Blackfoot M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments4 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Blackfoot
What does Blackfoot do?
Blackfoot Communications sells residential and business broadband internet (delivered over fiber-to-the-premises and DSL) and home phone (voice) services as monthly subscriptions to homes and businesses in Western Montana and Eastern Idaho. Plans bundle state-of-the-art equipment, security features, firmware updates, remote support, free device replacement, inside wiring repair, and access to the Blackfoot Connect mobile app into recurring monthly pricing.
Is Blackfoot a public or private company?
Blackfoot is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Blackfoot founded?
Blackfoot was founded in 1954. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Blackfoot based?
Blackfoot is headquartered in Missoula, United States, in the North America region.
How does Blackfoot make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Internet Service Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are voice Service Subscriptions.
Who are Blackfoot's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Charter Communications (Spectrum), Frontier Communications, Consolidated Communications and Lumen Technologies (CenturyLink). Direct peers are TDS Telecom (Telephone and Data Systems), Range Telephone Cooperative and Mid-Rivers Communications. Emerging players are Viasat and T-Mobile Home Internet. Calix is listed as an others.
Does Blackfoot have an API?
No public API is recorded for Blackfoot.
What industry is Blackfoot in?
Blackfoot's product category is Residential Broadband Internet and Voice Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAIADAE, Fiber ISPs (FTTH/FTTP Retail Providers), with a secondary code of HDAIADAI, Rural & Regional ISPs. Its NAICS code is 517111.