Study: Yellowstone Fiber generated roughly $135 million in regional activity and supported about 1,400 jobs

An independent economic impact analysis of Yellowstone Fiber was presented to the Bozeman City Commission April 21, with project director Grace Gilbreth saying the locally driven, open-access fiber network has produced measurable regional economic benefits.

Gilbreth and Economic Development Director Britt Fontenot summarized the study commissioned by the city and prepared by the Northern Rocky Mountain Economic Development District (NERMED). The analysis examined multiple periods of investment and operation, calculating roughly $105 million in private and public investment to date and estimating about $135 million in total economic activity across the periods studied.

"These numbers represent real economic impact," Gilbreth said, adding the study’s figures are conservative and do not capture all jobs that the network enables. She told commissioners the network directly supported about 1,400 jobs across the study periods and that more than 80% of the value generated by those jobs was retained locally.

Fontenot framed the network as infrastructure rather than a telecom project, saying the open-access model spurs competition among service providers and helps keep prices and reinvestment local. The presentation highlighted institutions such as the Bozeman School District and the local hospital as early anchor tenants whose reliability needs helped justify and secure the network.

Commissioners and staff noted the network’s role in resilience and service continuity during outages, and several commissioners praised the long-term vision and public-private collaboration that enabled the project’s financing and easements. The analysis will be made available on the presenting organization’s website for public review.