Blackfoot Sends Two Montana Students, Ashley Holmes of Seeley Lake and Justin Ailport of Drummond, to Washington, D.C.

On May 30, 2009, Blackfoot Telecommunications Group http://www.blackfoot.com (Blackfoot) will be
sending two Montanans to Washington D.C., to attend the Fifteenth Annual Foundation for Rural Service (FRS)
Youth Tour.

Blackfoot’s Board of Trustees considered many applications from communities within their service
areas and unanimously selected Ashley Holmes of Seeley Lake and Justin Ailport of Drummond to participate in an
all expense paid trip to our nation’s Capitol.

The Youth Tour introduces students from rural America to the telecommunications industry within a legislative
context. Aside from the educational aspects of this trip, Holmes and Ailport will also have the opportunity to tour
many of the historical sites in the nation’s capital with 100 other participating students from all over the United States.
The trip features a comprehensive overview of the telecommunications industry, including careers in telecom, the
critical role telecommunications plays in rural America, and how legislative and regulatory decisions affect the
industry.

"We hope that by providing our youth with telecommunications services comparable to those found in urban areas,
as well as exposing them to cultural and educational opportunities, such as the FRS Youth Tour, our youth will be
able to remain in their rural communities while bringing a national understanding and perspective to their work," said
Joan Mandeville, CEO of Blackfoot Telecommunications Group.
This year, the Youth Tour will bring together over 100 high school students, from rural communities throughout the
United States. They will participate in educational sessions about the Federal Communications Commission (FCC),
the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) and more.

The Foundation for Rural Service was created to promote, educate and advocate rural telecommunications issues in
order to sustain and enhance the quality of life within communities throughout rural America. The foundation was
established by the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association (NTCA), of which Blackfoot
Telecommunications Group is a member.

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About Blackfoot Telecommunications Group

Named after the Blackfoot River running through much of the territory it serves, the Blackfoot Telecommunications Group (Blackfoot) was
originally established in 1954 as Blackfoot Telephone Cooperative. Blackfoot offers state-of-the-art telecommunications, Internet and data solutions
to customers in Missoula and throughout Montana and Idaho. Headquartered in Missoula, Montana, Blackfoot employs more than 150 Montanans.

Blackfoot can be reached at 406-541-5000 or through its web site at http://www.blackfoot.com.
1221 N. Russell St.
Missoula, MT 59808
http://www.blackfoot.com
Contact: Kate Olney
Blackfoot Telecommunications Group
Phone: (406) 541-5020
FAX: (406) 532-501