BOUNTIFUL—A groundbreaking at the Bountiful City Park last week signaled the official start of bringing fiber to Bountiful. The city-owned fiber optic network powered by UTOPIA has been studied by city officials over the past three years before they made the decision to move forward. It had its bumps along the way, most recently a petition to put the bond on the ballot that would have stalled the project was defeated. 

“It’s taken years to have this day come to pass,” said Bountiful Mayor Kendalyn Harris. “Residents spearheaded this and now they’re going to get it.”

It’s an exciting day, she said. “The fiber committee spent years on this and the council took a lot of time on what would be best for Bountiful.” 

“We are honored to partner with Bountiful City in this ground-breaking venture,” said Roger Timmerman, CEO, at UTOPIA Fiber. “This model underscores the importance of community-driven initiatives in building robust and future-proof fiber infrastructure. We look forward to working closely with Bountiful to deliver exceptional internet services to its residents and businesses.”

This brings the most reliable speeds in the country, he said. “This will be built to the highest standard. There will be clean, stable and reliable fiber across the city.”

Key highlights of the partnership:

• Bountiful City has bonded for and owns the fiber infrastructure, UTOPIA Fiber will build and operate the system.

• The project is funded through subscriber revenues, at no cost to the taxpayer.

• Construction is to begin mid-year 2023 with 24-36 month estimated completion.

• Located 11 miles north of Salt Lake City, Bountiful will be the second-largest city in Utah who has partnered with UTOPIA Fiber.

The project will start in the northwest corner of Bountiful and move to the southeast, said Timmerman. “We’ll start here because it is right next to Centerville that already has UTOPIA so we have the backbone that will make it easy to move here.”

Monthly residential pricing is anticipated to range from $75-$90 depending on the speed, he said. “This is unique because Bountiful owns the project. With others it’s collectively over all the cities. This means Bountiful can set their own terms. They could reduce or adjust prices based on sign ups or the bond. They don’t anticipate a shortfall. The whole project will be paid for by voluntary sign ups.”

“We know their (UTOPIA) track record and feel confident about it,” said Harris. “Residents who choose to opt in can now have the UTOPIA option. We’re excited for the future.”