# Jason Williams

> Jason B. Williams is the Missoula-based chief executive of Blackfoot Communications, a member-owned regional broadband and technology provider. A South Dakota native who studied literature at Notre Dame and law at the University of Montana, he first encountered Blackfoot as a legal intern, returned as general counsel in 2012, became chief operating officer in 2016, and moved into the CEO role later that year. His tenure has centered on replacing aging copper with fiber, extending reliable connectivity across sparsely populated communities, and modernizing a 1954 telephone cooperative without losing its local obligations.

- **Role:** Chief Executive Officer at Blackfoot Communications
- **Organizations:** Blackfoot Communications, USTelecom, Missoula Economic Partnership, Federal Communications Commission, Idaho Power, NorthWestern Energy, XO Communications
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** BA; field reported as literature, University of Notre Dame, JD, University of Montana School of Law
- **Known for:** Led Blackfoot's multiyear transition from aging copper infrastructure toward fiber-to-the-premises across rural western Montana and eastern Idaho., Oversaw a program that connected nearly 1,800 locations to fiber in 2023; by the 2024 interview, 35 percent of rural customers had been converted since 2017., Helped guide Blackfoot through the pandemic year of 2020, when the cooperative reported 257 miles of fiber, 1,027 fiber drops, nearly 800 new member-owners and almost $20 million invested in broadband infrastructure.

## Career timeline

- **1997** — Began a telecommunications career in regulatory affairs at NextLink/XO Communications.
- **During law school** — Worked as a legal intern at Blackfoot, then entered private practice representing rural telephone companies.
- **Before 2012** — Worked as in-house counsel for NorthWestern Energy and Idaho Power and served for a year in Washington, D.C., as an adviser to an FCC commissioner.
- **2012** — Returned to Montana to join Blackfoot as vice president and general counsel.
- **2016-03** — Appointed chief operating officer of Blackfoot.
- **2016-12** — Named chief executive after serving as interim CEO following the death of Bill Squires.
- **2023-10** — Elected chair of USTelecom's board of directors after serving as vice chair.
- **2024-10** — Featured in ISE Magazine in a wide-ranging interview on fiber, fixed wireless, AI, network operations and cooperative culture.
- **2025** — Participated as a special guest in USTelecom's American Connectivity Forum.
- **2026** — Continued as Blackfoot CEO, confirmed by the company's current leadership page and a March 2026 Idaho regulatory filing.

## Achievements

- Led Blackfoot's multiyear transition from aging copper infrastructure toward fiber-to-the-premises across rural western Montana and eastern Idaho.
- Oversaw a program that connected nearly 1,800 locations to fiber in 2023; by the 2024 interview, 35 percent of rural customers had been converted since 2017.
- Helped guide Blackfoot through the pandemic year of 2020, when the cooperative reported 257 miles of fiber, 1,027 fiber drops, nearly 800 new member-owners and almost $20 million invested in broadband infrastructure.
- Was elected chair of the USTelecom board in October 2023 after serving as vice chair.
- Serves as past chair and board member of the Missoula Economic Partnership.
- Advanced a mixed fiber and fixed-wireless strategy for locations where the cost of fiber cannot be justified.

## Latest updates

- **2026-03** — An Idaho Public Utilities Commission annual filing listed Williams as Blackfoot's chief executive officer at the end of 2025.
- **2026-02** — Blackfoot announced a private point of presence for its managed SASE service as part of an expansion of secure connectivity in western Montana and eastern Idaho.
- **2025-02** — Blackfoot became the first corporate community partner for the University of Montana's PISCES cybersecurity education program in Montana.
- **2025-01** — Williams appeared among the broadband executives and policy participants at USTelecom's 2025 American Connectivity Forum.
- **2024-10** — ISE Magazine published a cover interview with Williams covering rural fiber deployment, fixed wireless economics, AI training, automation and network security.

## Links

- Website: https://blackfootcommunications.com/
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-williams-50149613
- Twitter/X: https://www.twitter.com/goblackfoot/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/BlackfootTelecom/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goblackfoot/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/goblackfoot/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/jason-williams
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-09-27