There’s not a lot of details out about the proposed public-private partnership between UTOPIA and Macquarie, but it’s already looking like Provo’s deal with Google Fiber is about as raw as I thought it is. Here’s a breakdown of how the two deals differ:
| UTOPIA/Macquarie | iProvo/Google | |
|---|---|---|
| Contract length | 30 years | 7 years |
| Investment per address | ~$2,000 | ~$500 |
| Revenue Sharing | Yes (unknown amount) | None |
| Open Access | Yes | No |
So, to be clear, UTOPIA’s proposed deal with Macquarie will bring a longer commitment, more money, and revenue sharing with the cities while preserving open access. In this light, Google Fiber seems like epic’s cheap knock-off. Provo, you just got punked.
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Really hope this goes through, this looks to be a good deal, atleast from what is known so far.
I have been stuck on comcast for the last couple years, After Centurylink toke over qwest and started oftering line speeds beyond what the lines can handle here the copper from the node service(FTTN) dsl connections have become so unreliable that they can be called a competitive option only in jest.
Currently pay $80 month for 50meg service(no tv just internet), would much rather that go into Utopia.
Would be nice to get Xmission back I really miss their fantastic network.
I will be the first person in line to get this when it’s available in my area; I check for it nearly every day. For the same amount i pay comcast I will easily be able to get gigabit speeds. And if I choose to go with the cheaper option, I’ll still have better speeds than comcast, and save more than 50% of what I pay now.