TDS Fiber Opens Helena Store, Launches Expanded Fiber Buildouts Across Montana
TDS Fiber held a ribbon-cutting Thursday for a new Helena retail store at 2030 Cromwell Dixon Lane, part of an ongoing expansion of fiber-optic networks in Helena and other Montana cities. The company said it is investing roughly $450–$500 million statewide and donated $2,000 to The Friendship Center at the opening — a development that could improve local internet service, competition, and economic opportunities for Lewis and Clark County residents.
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TDS Fiber officially opened a new retail location in Helena with a ribbon-cutting at 2030 Cromwell Dixon Lane, marking the latest step in the company's broader push to expand fiber-optic broadband across Montana. Company leaders announced the buildouts are continuing in Helena and other cities across the state and that TDS is investing roughly $450–$500 million statewide to deploy its network. At the store opening the company donated $2,000 to The Friendship Center.
For Lewis and Clark County residents, the retail opening signals more than a new storefront: it represents expanded access to high-capacity broadband infrastructure that underpins residential connectivity, business operations, and telework. Fiber-optic service generally delivers faster and more reliable upload and download speeds than older copper-based systems, and local availability can shift the economics of home-based businesses, remote employment, online education and telehealth services.
The scale of TDS’s planned investment — approaching half a billion dollars statewide — underscores the private sector’s role in closing connectivity gaps in Montana’s smaller cities and rural areas. While the immediate impacts in Helena will depend on the pace of construction and neighborhood rollouts, increased fiber presence typically creates short-term demand for construction and service work during buildouts and longer-term benefits from improved digital infrastructure.
Greater competition among internet service providers is another potential market effect. New fiber networks can spur competitors to adjust pricing, upgrade technologies, or expand offers, which can benefit consumers through better service options and potentially lower costs. For local governments and economic development officials, enhanced broadband capacity strengthens Helena’s competitiveness when attracting employers and supporting existing businesses that rely on robust digital links.
TDS’s donation to The Friendship Center ties the commercial opening to community support, directing private dollars to a local nonprofit. While modest in size relative to the company’s statewide capital program, the contribution reflects an immediate local connection that accompanies the firm’s retail and network expansion.
Broadband deployment remains a focal point of regional policy discussions because of its implications for economic inclusion and long-term growth. The Helena store opening is a local milestone in that broader trend: it provides residents a visible point of contact with a major network builder and signals continuing investments in infrastructure that will shape digital access across Lewis and Clark County in the years ahead.
