The Gallatin County Commission on Tuesday backed a local expansive broadband project, which plans to increase broadband access first in the city, and then to rural, underserved parts of the county.

The commission unanimously approved the issue of $65 million of bonds for Bozeman Fiber, allowing the nonprofit company to move forward with plans to expanding its fiber optic cable network. The plan is to get roughly 8,500 homes in Bozeman connected to high speed internet within the next few years.