Wireless Companies Ask For Property Tax Break

Representatives from Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T asked Montana lawmakers Friday to pass a bill that would offer them a property tax break if they expand their Montana networks, saying a lighter tax load on wireless infrastructure would encourage them to invest in reaching difficult-to-serve rural areas.

The proposal, Senate Bill 534, would add wireless infrastructure such as cell towers to an existing tax break available to companies that expand their wired broadband networks. Shortly after the bill wrapped its initial public hearing before the Senate Taxation Committee on Friday, the committee...