News
The Broadband Landscape
September 6th, 2012
What is the role, importance, and future of broadband? Broadband for America has been hosting several panel discussions on the subject, and some interesting tidbits have emerged from one of these panels: Broadband network companies support over 10 million jobs and growing. Broadband-related jobs across the U.S. pay more than 41 percent above the […]
Read More >The Experiences of Other Fiber Networks
August 29th, 2012
In April, Christopher Mitchell (who recently wrote a blog post for us), published “Broadband at the Speed of Light.” In this report, he explains “how three communities built next-generation networks,” focusing on Chattanooga, Tn.; Bristol, Va.; and Lafayette, La. We’ve been meaning to dig into that report and share some elements. By no means […]
Read More >“UTOPIA is a no brainer”
August 17th, 2012
As a very happy UTOPIA customer, I am glad for the chance to briefly share my experience with the great service I have received. When I was first approached by UTOPIA, I had some reservations given it was a new product. I am generally conservative and take more of the “wait and see” approach to […]
Read More >Rebutting the Robocalls
August 15th, 2012
With all the excitement (that’s one word for it) going on in Orem this week, it seems the Sutherland Institute, a conservative “think tank” based here in Utah, has been making robocalls to the fine folks in Orem. They were trying to rally listeners to oppose the property tax hike there, to prevent the funding […]
Read More >Guest Post–Community Broadband: America’s Broadband Hope
August 14th, 2012
Guest Column: Christopher Mitchell The broadband gap in America is slowly morphing into a broadband chasm. Millions of Americans have no broadband access to the Internet. Tens of millions are stuck with only slow and unreliable DSL. The vast majority of America has a single cable option as its fastest connection to the Internet. […]
Read More >UTOPIA Is Moving Ahead
August 3rd, 2012
The news is interesting. One thing to always keep in mind with the news is that they are in the business of attracting eyeballs. “Good news” doesn’t always do the trick. Both sides of the story rarely get the same traction. Good thing we have this blog to get our message out. Today, UTOPIA is […]
Read More >The Pioneering Spirit
July 23rd, 2012
In 1847, 165 years ago, the first pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley with the intention of settling in what would become Utah. Their arrival was the culmination of an arduous journey. They overcome numerous hardships along the way (I can’t help thinking about the lack of air conditioning. I am such a wimp), leaving […]
Read More >Catching the Vision of Open-Access Broadband
July 19th, 2012
“I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.” The quote above, attributed to Thomas Watson in 1943, when he was chairman and CEO of IBM, is an illustrative example of shortsightedness and bad predictions. While useful in that regard, there’s one minor problem: there is no evidence Watson actually said it. […]
Read More >Benefits of Community Broadband
July 19th, 2012
At the end of June, Christopher Mitchell of Community Broadband Networks interviewed Todd Marriott, UTOPIA Executive Director, for a podcast, which is now available. Mitchell is Director, Telecommunications as Commons Initiative at the Institute for Local Self Reliance (ILSR), and oversees MuniNetworks.org as part of ILSR’s effort “to ensure broadband networks are directly accountable to […]
Read More >A Handful of Broadband Facts
July 12th, 2012
UTOPIA is profiled in the May/June issue of Broadband Communities magazine, which is available now. This issue includes a “Fiber-To-The-Home” (FTTH) Primer with a plethora of facts and insights that illustrate the need for fiber connectivity. (The 2011 pimer is available on-line, but not the current edition). Here are some highlights: Fiber connections are available […]
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