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HELENA - Cell phone service and access to the Internet in rural parts of Montana can be spotty but, according to an independent group of telecommunications companies, more people are getting connected than ever before.

The group told legislators that broadband service is growing at a tremendous rate in rural parts of the Treasure State, due in part to smaller businesses making an effort to reach out.

They also reported that the larger companies, like Verizon and Qwest, focus service on the cities and as a result, smaller companies have stepped in to fill the gap.

"Broadband is going to open up their homes and their businesses to the type of applications that right there from their homes they can do e-commerce and they can do e-business," explained Bonnie Lorang with Montana Independent Telecommunications Systems. "They can take classes at the schools or the universities."

She added that by expanding broadband services to rural Montana, more people will have access to tele-health services.

Lorang reported that the biggest problem the smaller companies face is the predictability of revenue and customers.