HB60 would ban UTOPIA construction outside
member cities
Curt Webb’s HB 60 “ prohibits an interlocal entity that provides
telecommunication service through a fiber optic network from constructing
infrastructure or providing telecommunication service in locations
outside the boundaries of its members.”
This
bill is still in House Committee and has not been considered. 2/14/2014.
"Lawmakers have
struggled with the concept of UTOPIA from the start, unable to determine how
much is too much when it comes to allowing the organization to bond in order to
pay for expanding infrastructure. To that end, Representative Curt Webb
(Republican – Logan) is proposing HB 60
– Interlocal Entity Service Prohibition.
The
bill would physically cut off the expansion of UTOPIA by prohibiting the
construction of infrastructure outside of member cities. So, for example, if
demand for infrastructure increased between member-cities West Valley and
Murray, construction could not take place because non-member Taylorsville and
Unincorporated Salt Lake County lie between them—despite the fact that a mile
separates the two city borders. By not allowing infrastructure growth in
non-member cities, HB 60 all but guarantees the death of the project. This
concept runs counter to how any network runs. In general, a business would
provide service between two points and, along the way, expand service in the
areas between.
To
contact Representative Webb, click here or
call 435-753-2467."
