Utah's Utopia municipally-owned wholesale fiber network has never been able to live up to its proposed potential. However, the city still believes in the network so it has enacted a new model: residential and business users that want fiber-based services will have to pay to get a connection. Brigham City Council agreed on a $5.5 million proposal to carry the wholesale fiber network on its streets.
To fund the plan, the city will contribute $655,384, while business and residential customers will pay the remaining balance. Utopia's model this time seems to be working as it has signed 1600 business and residential subscriptions. Each subscriber will pay $3,000 to get their Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP) connection. One of the enticing aspects of the payment plan is that subscribers only have to pay $25 a month over a 20-year period. Given all of the challenges that Utopia has faced in building out a municipally-owned wholesale fiber network, all eyes will be watching to see if this latest move could lead it to a path of profitability.
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