News
A citywide broadband project that faced fierce opposition from political groups has been completed by UTOPIA Fiber in Bountiful City, Utah.
By: Brad Randall, Broadband Communities
A citywide open-access network in Bountiful City, Utah has been completed, according to an announcement from UTOPIA Fiber’s Executive Director, Roger Timmerman, at Fiber Connect in Nashville.
The project, which collected opposition from “a dark money organization,” was completed nearly a full year ahead of schedule, Timmerman said at Fiber Connect.
“We attribute this success to the city,” Timmerman said. “They’re excellent working with us in partnership to expedite things.”
Timmerman also said UTOPIA utilized an excellent construction contractor.
“Everything lined up perfectly in our partnerships to make it happen quickly and efficiently to benefit the residents and businesses of the city,” he said.
Timmerman also spoke briefly about some of the opposition to the project.
He said an organization known as the Domestic Policy Caucus hired people to go door to door collecting signatures.
The effort, an attempt to undermine UTOPIA’s efforts, ultimately resulted in failure, Timmerman said.
“It was a pretty ugly campaign against the city,” he said. “All for the sake of protecting an incumbent provider and their services.”
Timmerman, however, said the city’s residents were able to see through the opposition campaign.
He called a referendum meant to challenge the unanimous support for UTOPIA’s buildout from Bountiful City’s city council “a delay tactic.”
“That failed, and the city continued their support of the project,” he said.
Meanwhile, yesterday’s announcement comes only 24 months after UTOPIA Fiber began their partnership with Bountiful City.
Accordingly, the open-access network in Bountiful City now passes over 16,500 addresses, over 13,500 of which are homes.
‘Better internet wasn’t just a want, it was a need’
Bountiful City Mayor Kendalyn Harris additionally offered comments that were included in UTOPIA Fiber’s release.
“We heard loud and clear from our community that better internet wasn’t just a want, it was a need,” Harris said. “And now, just shy of two years after breaking ground, every resident has access to fiber.
Harris also touched on positive feedback she’s already heard.
“I’ve already heard from neighbors who say, ‘It’s amazing, we’re all online at once and it just works,’” she said. “That’s the kind of impact we were hoping for.”
The completed network is now known as Bountiful Fiber.
The network will allow the city’s residents to select among 14 private, Utah-based internet providers, UTOPIA Fiber’s release stated.
The city-owned network has also received high marks from at least one Bountiful City resident, Nicole Cottle, Deputy Director and Director of Government Affairs at UTOPIA Fiber.
“No contracts, no hidden fees, no throttling,” Cottle said. “This is what broadband should look like: freedom to choose, fair prices, and a network that’s future-proofed for decades to come. And Bountiful made it happen.”
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