FAQ

UTOPIA is a group of 16 Utah cities who are working together to bring world-class telecommunications services to their communities. The member cities of the network believe that telecommunications infrastructure is the highway of the future – and that the economic development and benefit that come from a true broadband network are vital to the long-term success of their communities. UTOPIA stands for Utah Telecommunication Open Infrastructure Agency.

No. So far, UTOPIA hasn’t used any of the pledged funds. Each person that joins the network brings UTOPIA closer to self-sustainability, so – ultimately – the network will be paid for by those who use it, rather than the taxpayers. Some of the pledged funds will be used beginning in 2010, but UTOPIA will repay those funds to the city once the network is self-sustainable.

In 2008, UTOPIA got new management to revitalize the network. The management team is made up of experienced telecoms professionals who are operating the network in a much more business-like way. Each new construction project needs to have enough subscribers BEFORE construction begins to ensure that UTOPIA invests in network growth in areas where it’s needed most.

In an Open Access Network like UTOPIA, the community owns the network and each subscriber gets a dedicated connection that they control. Multiple service providers compete against each other for your business. This keeps prices low and services high.

Fiber optics is a way of sending information using pulses of light. It is so advanced it can carry high-definition TV, high-quality digital telephone and ultra-fast Internet signals, all on the same connection and all at the same time. As technology advances, the equipment used to send and receive information may be upgraded, but the really expensive part—building the fiber connections—does not have to be redone. That’s why fiber networks are often called “future proof.”

Wireless has its place but will never be able to economically provide the bandwidth required for present and future high-definition services. A good discussion is found at the New Rules Project ( New Rules article here.)

With UTOPIA, each home and business is connected by fiber-optics directly to the main fiber-optic backbone. That means you don’t share a your connection with your neighbors. If you order a 10 mbps service from your UTOPIA service provider, that’s exactly what you get, all the time, download and upload. There’s no fine print saying speeds “up to” 10 mbps are “available.”

The 11 founding members of the UTOPIA network issued bonds to pay for the first portion of the network. In 2008, those bonds were refinanced in conjunction with a change in UTOPIA’s management. Brigham City and the other pledging cities are now responsible for a portion of the network’s expenses (based on their percentage of the total UTOPIA population) until the network becomes profitable. So far, the UTOPIA cities haven’t had to pay anything on their bonds, but UTOPIA will likely have to call on a portion of the tax pledges early in 2010. The first year of bond payments from each city is held in a reserve fund. Brigham City has also budgeted an individual reserve to replenish the larger reserve, so city funds won’t be required until Brigham City’s reserve needs to be replenished in several years. UTOPIA will treat any money received from the cities’ pledges as a loan, and the funds will be repaid once the network is self-sufficient.

UTOPIA is currently focused on completing the network in the 16 Utah cities that own and operate the network. Since Honeyville is not a UTOPIA member city, there are not plans to expand the network into Honeyville at this time.

Service providers on the UTOPIA network offer Internet, television, and telephone services, as well as advanced business services. Telemedicine, home security and other services will be added in the future.

There are currently five providers offering services on UTOPIA in Brigham City: Fuzecore, Prime Time, and XMission, Brigham.net, and Veracity.

Each provider on the network has their own channel line-up.
To see Fuzecore's channel line-up, click here.
To see Prime Time's channel line-up, click here.
To see XMission's channel line-up, click here.

You are not limited to a certain number of computers of TVs. The number of computers you use should not affect your monthly cost in any way. Many people choose to create a wireless network in their homes, using a wireless router, to connect all their computers. For additional televisions, each provider has a different system to get connected. Most charge a few dollars a month for each additional TV set-top box (around $5 to $10).

Each UTOPIA provider offers connections for each of your TVs, including DVR recording capabilities. Each provider has different pricing for set-top boxes and DVR boxes; each provider will charge a monthly rental fee for additional set-top boxes and DVR services. Set-top box pricing is listed on the provider sheet, or you can talk with a UTOPIA representative in your area to find the best solution for you and your family. You can set up an appointment by emailing service@utopianet.org.

UTOPIA's service providers offer different pricing depending on the speed of your connection. The base speed on the UTOPIA network is 10 Mb for downloads and 10 Mb for uploads: 10/10. Speeds are all listed download/upload. Most of the UTOPIA connections are symmetrical, so you get the same speed for sending information to the Internet as you get for receiving information.

The 11 founding members of the UTOPIA network issued bonds to pay for the first portion of the network. In 2008, those bonds were refinanced in conjunction with a change in UTOPIA’s management. Brigham City and the other pledging cities are now responsible for a portion of the network’s expenses (based on their percentage of the total UTOPIA population) until the network becomes profitable. So far, the UTOPIA cities haven’t had to pay anything on their bonds, but UTOPIA will likely have to call on a portion of the tax pledges early in 2010. The first year of bond payments from each city is held in a reserve fund. Brigham City has also budgeted an individual reserve to replenish the larger reserve, so city funds won’t be required until Brigham City’s reserve needs to be replenished in several years. UTOPIA will treat any money received from the cities’ pledges as a loan, and the funds will be repaid once the network is self-sufficient.

More than a decade ago, business leaders and city officials were concerned about Brigham City’s economic future because the traditional telephone and cable companies were not showing any interest in bringing broadband connections to Brigham. These leaders discovered that other cities in Utah had the same problem, so Brigham City took a leading role in forming UTOPIA. Now we have the opportunity to be one of the most digitally advanced cities in America.

About 40% of Brigham City’s infrastructure is already in place; UTOPIA started a small pilot project in this area to test the network in Brigham City several months ago. Your neighbors on the UTOPIA network have had great results. 90% of users say phone quality is superior to their old service, that speed is greatly improved, and that they have a better overall experience on the UTOPIA network than with their old provider. Users are also saying that the value for the price is much better than their old service.

In the next several weeks, you can decide whether to connect your home or business to the UTOPIA network. The network will only be completed if enough people decide to sign up. Brigham City’s leaders would like to begin seeing the benefits of the network in the community, and have made arrangements for everyone who wants a UTOPIA connection to be hooked up by the end of this year.

The best way is to call 1-888-342-3748 or email service@utopianet.org. You’ll be contacted right away by a community representative who will make an appointment at your convenience to explain how to make sure you don’t miss this opportunity to get connected.

A traditional telecommunications bill includes two parts: a portion that pays for your actual services and a portion that pays for your infrastructure build. When you sign up for the UTOPIA network, you are separate those costs between your service provider bill and your monthly utility bill. The total costs of connecting to the UTOPIA network are covered on your utility bill – no more than $25 a month (or no more than $3000 total). As more customers sign up, the costs to get connected to the network go down. After the UTOPIA infrastructure costs are paid for, your community will own the network and all you’re left with is a bill for your services. On other networks, you’ll always be renting your infrastructure and financing builds for customers in other markets.

The infrastructure costs on the UTOPIA network pay to complete the network throughout the city in underground conduit or on utility poles – also known as “access level” infrastructure; to connect your home with fiber to the access level infrastructure; an “access portal” in your home -- the small, electronic device that connects your computer, TV, and/or phone to the network; and the labor costs to connect one computer, TV, and your phone system to the network.

No. You are not obligated to begin paying until the network is operational and your house is receiving services.

No. You will only see the monthly charge if enough people decide to get connected and your area is actually built. Otherwise you will see no change.

Yes. You are able to pay for your connection in whatever way works best for you. You can take advantage of city financing and pay $25 a month; you may pay more each month; pay of the remaining balance at any time; or pay the whole amount upfront (no more than $3000). You are free to choose whichever option best meets the needs of you and your family.

No. Just like the other services on your utility bill, the connection cost for the UTOPIA network stays with your property. If you decide to move, the title company will often choose to have you pay off the remainder when you sell your home or you can choose to transfer the monthly fee to the new owner.

The chance to take advantage of the city’s financing option is only available for a limited time – based on community interest – with a timeline to begin construction by the end of the year. After the window ends, those who want to get connected to the UTOPIA network will have to finance the connection costs themselves. Their connection cost will be applied to the city financing, so everyone in the city pays the same cost to get connected to the network.

Construction will begin as soon as enough customers have agreed to join the network. Hopefully, there will be enough customers signed up to begin construction in early October and begin connecting customers as early as Thanksgiving.

The best thing to do to get connected to the UTOPIA network is express your interest to your landlord or set up an appointment with a UTOPIA representative to get a discussion started (by calling 888.342.3748 or emailing service@utopianet.org). Rental units cannot be connected on an individual basis, but if your landlord connects the whole building, you'll be able to receive services. Several rental units throughout the city have already signed up to get UTOPIA service.

Your UTOPIA representative should have shared our construction timeline: UTOPIA will begin construction in November and should begin connecting customers around Thanksgiving. UTOPIA anticipates having all Brigham City customers connected by early next year, weather permitting.

The final fee for your connection will be determined after everyone has signed up and construction has begun. The final amount will not be more than $25, but will probably be less -- based on the number of people that have signed up. However, once the sign-up period has ended and the final fee is set, it will not change. You will be able to use all your UTOPIA services at the same time.

UTOPIA's service providers are offering $20 off per month for the first year -- a savings of $240 -- to help mitigate some of those challenges. You can also sign up for UTOPIA and get connected, but continue to use your other services until your contract expires. Then you can sign up for services with one of UTOPIA's great providers at a time that works for you. Finally, once UTOPIA is built throughout the city, anyone can join by paying the entire connection cost upfront. Unfortunately, the city financing option is only available through November 20. Each homeowner that is interested in joining can decide what works best for them.

The fiber connection fee is tied to a property, not to a specific person. Homeowners who are buying or selling can negotiate paying of the entire connection cost before closing or assume the remaining payments.

The city council passed a resolution on November 5, ensuring that those who have signed up throughout the city will be connected.