Verizon's nixing some cell service in rural Montana has locals scared about emergencies [telecom]

In article you write:

A little digging finds a great deal of complexity here. The Verizon customers are using an obscure rural plan that roams on other carriers' towers, and the subsidy that VZ gets from the plan is way less than they're paying the other carriers.

The obvious solution would be to sign up with the actual local providers that operate the local towers, but some reports say that the local providers aren't taking new customes. One of them is Mid-Rivers, whose website sure looks like they offer cell service to new customers.

R's, John