Provo Mayor Lewis Billings wrote an op-ed in the Provo Daily Herald rebutting the Reason Foundation's report slamming iProvo. His conclusion? They're gaming a project in its infancy, calling it a failure before it has even really gotten off of the ground. He points out that construction only recently finished… Continue reading
The Reason Foundation, a libertarian think tank from California, has released two studies recent slamming iProvo specifically and municipal broadband in general. They make a solid case that city-run WiFi networks (as with all WiFi networks) face rapid obsolescence that a city probably can't keep up with. However, they go… Continue reading
UTOPIA will be holding an open house in Lindon to answer questions about the service that will soon be available to that city. It will be held on Dec. 5 at 6PM at the Lindon City Center, 100 N. State Rd. (See full article.)
The city of Layton, a UTOPIA member, recently approved a location for a major UTOPIA hub within the city. The city is not yet getting service, but is a member city scheduled to be hooked up during Phase II of construction. (See full article.)
The FTTH Council has filed a brief in favor of the Lafayette Utility Systems' efforts to deploy a municipal fiber network. The lawsuit was brought by a resident who claimed unfair government competition and has now been escalated to the state's Supreme Court. The lawsuit is built around a 2004… Continue reading
Michael Copps of the FCC says we're behind even Estonia as the cable/telco duopoly forces inferior service with higher prices on all of us. He also cites how disingenuous their broadband penetration numbers really are. It's good to see people in high places that know just how deep in it… Continue reading
There's an editorial on InterGovWorld.com that makes a good case for ditching the national approach to providing universal broadband service in favor of local municipal networks. Cited among the reasons are increased flexibility, better accountability, and self-reliance (i.e. not taxing citizens in one state to pay for improvements in another)…. Continue reading
This is an interesting concept. A Spanish start-up, FON, wants to sell you a cheap wireless router in exchange for providing Internet access to other FON users and subscribers. You also get to use any FON hotspot for free as a bonus for providing service. Residents in San Francisco recently… Continue reading
In a not so surprising story, a telecommunications consultant warned the city council of Wilson, NC that their support for municipal fiber projects could cost them their jobs. Catharine Rice told members of the council that they should fear a media blitz and retaliatory attack ads from the incumbent carriers,… Continue reading
iProvo, Provo's version of UTOPIA, has managed to double subscribers in just one year. This bodes well for the municipal fiber project as it puts the finishing touches on wiring up every home and business in the town. They now report 7,700 subscribers, a large chunk of the residents of… Continue reading