Reader comments
Orem OKs new bonds to finance UTOPIA

Excellent ! I have all 3 services bundled with UTOPIA. The internet is smoking fast. TV and Phone are adequate. All for a lower price than I was paying for any two of the services with Qwest and satellite t.v.

Most of the naysayers don't have UTOPIA. When the experience it they will see it has been money well spent.

I hope this, along with the many, many other examples, will help convince more people of the basic unreliability of the Federal government. At least as it has been run for the last few decades.

As the government has become ever bigger and more costly, it has also become less effective and MUCH less efficient. Yet, the largest percentage increase in employment for the last year has been in government employees. More money and resources after bad. OUR money and resources.

I which I had more faith that enough, or even any of the candidates for federal office would do what it would take to make the matter better.

Congrats Orem! You made the right choice and will, eventually, be richly rewarded.

I hope for the day when my city, Sandy, will do the same.

So glad my tax money is going to support your service. Under the new marketing plan, UTOPIA will only hook up an area if 60% of the neighborhood agrees to service. That isn't going to happen in my neighborhood when they will now require a $1000 to $3000 connection charge. That pretty much wipes out any price differential and I don't live in an area where 60% of the residents can afford that much money to connect. Enjoy your service. You're getting it on the backs of those of us who pay taxes, but, won't see the service.

Not true at all. Our neighborhood paid ZERO hook up fees.

$99 a month for all 3 services.

And yes I pay taxes as well. Maybe you need to get involved and make it happen for your neighborhood.

To Orem Parent and all others who need a business lesson. You have lower prices and higher taxes now and perpetually into the future. However, economically speaking, shared revenue models DO NOT WORK in telecommunications and this like iProvo is a shared revenue model where UTOPIA and the retail service provider are trying to share revenue. This will NEVER be economically viable. Only your good tax dollars after bad will keep UTOPIA alive now and in the long term. Let's see how you feel about this in five years. And no, I don't work for Qwest or Comcast I am just an experienced telecommunications executive who knows the economics of telecommunications.

I'll still feel good about it in 5 years because it will be head and shoulders above the rest like it is now.

In fact I would like to see it become part of our city bill and have it out there for everyone in the city.

Can't wait for UTOPIA, so glad our elected leaders had the chutzpah to keep their heads clear with all the anti-competition propoganda out there from Utah Taxpayers Association, Comcast, and Qwest. Well done, Orem. And since the consumers haven't even seen the marketing plan yet I don't see how anyone can comment and say the price differential won't add up. Even with the monthly hookup payment I'm pretty sure the total monthly cost will be competitive or the bonds wouldn't have been issued. For once I'm thinking our elected folks actually had some pretty good foresight in a difficult situation. Maybe that's because they're city council members and not legislators! They're definitely more interested in the community than their own political careers, which is refreshing in this age of demagoguery.