Verizon, Blackfoot loose service in widespread area of SW Montana
GRANITE COUNTY - Hello? Anybody there?
Residents around Southwest Montana couldn't get a dial tone or a modem handshake Tuesday night for approximately 2-1/2 to three hours as both Blackfoot Telecommunications and Verizon Wireless lost service .
It was noticed at approximately 6 p.m. that internet services were down in Granite County. At approximately 7:15 p.m., cell phone services went away as well, leaving residents with no way to communicate with the outside world.
That is, unless you had Cricket Wireless.
Cricket piggy backs off of the towers used by ATT. During the communications blackout, the Flint Creek Courier encountered two Cricket Wireless users in Drummond who had full service and who were able to make calls without issue.
Presumably the Granite County Sheriff's Department and other first-responders were able to use radio communications should an emergency arise. But considering most people didn't have the ability to call them, it may have been a moot point.
Service was finally restored to some areas around 10 p.m. with most areas back online and talking by 11 p.m.
