Blackfoot Communications Expands Into New Rural Digital Opportunity Fund With netElastic vBNG and CGNAT Networking Software

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - March 24, 2026 - PRLog -- netElastic, a leading innovator in software solutions for broadband, today announced that Blackfoot Communications, a telecommunications provider serving rural Montana and Idaho, USA, turned to netElastic's virtualized router platform to accelerate its transition to network virtualization and reduce reliance on proprietary hardware. Facing an aging Broadband Network Gateway (BNG) infrastructure, a shortage of IPv4 addresses and expansion into a new Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, Blackfoot Communications required a solution that was scalable, cost-effective and easy to manage without straining its technical support team.

To solve these issues, Blackfoot adopted a network virtualization strategy with netElastic's virtual router (vRouter) software platform featuring virtual BNG (vBNG), Carrier Grade Network Address Translation (CGNAT), and netVision monitoring application. Blackfoot successfully validated netElastic's vRouter performance and integration within its VMware environment. The netElastic solution allowed Blackfoot to leverage existing server hardware, simplify network operations and scale services into new rural markets.

Key features:

• Integrated CGNAT: The vRouter's built-in CGNAT functionality resolved the IPv4 address exhaustion problem without impacting service quality.
• High Availability: The vRouter was deployed in a redundant active/standby configuration to ensure service continuity and improved uptime.
• Calix Integration: The vRouter's telemetry data was integrated directly into the Calix Operations Cloud, providing end-to-end network visibility in a single system and eliminating management silos by delivering a single end-to-end view of the network.

Key benefits:

• Cost Savings: Blackfoot eliminated the need for expensive proprietary hardware, which reduced both capital and support costs.
• Greater Flexibility & Scalability: Blackfoot can now increase network capacity simply by updating a software license, rather than purchasing and installing new hardware.
• Improved Operational Efficiency: The unified network visibility provided by the Calix Operations Cloud streamlines troubleshooting, allowing the team to proactively address potential issues and reduce operational overhead.

Rob Feenstra, Director of Network Engineering at Blackfoot Communications said, "Working with netElastic software has been a refreshing change from other vendors with complex licensing and administration needs. We have really been able to scale intelligently, and our upgrade cycles aren't dictated by vendor release dates."

Weixiao Liu, CEO of netElastic, said, "The value software brings to networking isn't a new proposition, but netElastic lowers the barrier of entry to cost savings by utilizing all the benefits of open networking, while delivering peace of mind. We're committed to supporting our customers and developing cost-effective software that's easy to deploy and use."

About netElastic

netElastic provides virtualized routing solutions purpose-built for broadband service providers. netElastic developed one of the industry's first virtual broadband network gateways (vBNGs) including CGNAT from the ground up. netElastic is based in sunny Santa Clara, California.

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