Video Pitches UTOPIA to Google for Gigabit Network

Lehi, Utah and its partner Strata Networks say they’ve completed construction of Lehi Fiber, the city-owned, open access fiber network that’s dramatically reshaped broadband affordability and competition in the city of 80,000. Locals now have the options of multiple tiers of service across the five different Internet Service Providers.

Lamoille FiberNet's $24 million public-private partnership with Fidium Fiber to deliver fiber broadband access to nearly every deliverable address in Lamoille County has been completed. The collaboration resulted in the deployment of 550 miles of fiber, resulting in gigabit-capable next-generation broadband access being made available to 5,000 unserved or underserved addresses across the county.

In 2025, we saw seven new municipal broadband networks across the country that were lit up for service. As is usual, it was a mixture of partnerships, business models, and construction approaches to meet the unique challenges of a patchwork broadband landscape.

A city utility manager, an economist, and a fiber technologist walk into a virtual webinar … And what followed was a deep dive into why delaying investment in smart city infrastructure is increasingly costly. Panelists emphasized how “smart cities” are built on fiber networks and what city investments in the gold-standard of Internet connectivity can do to boost economic development while improving the quality of life for local residents and businesses.

The livestreamed event will bring together community-driven broadband champions who are redefining what it means to be a “smart city” — and what communities risk when they fail to invest in modern connectivity. Moderated by AAPB Executive Director Gigi Sohn and ILSR’s Sean Gonsalves, the livestreamed discussion will bring together community-driven broadband champions who are redefining what it means to be a “smart city” — and what communities risk when they fail to invest in modern connectivity.

The second installment in the ongoing Community Broadband Film Series spotlights “Rocketeers: The UTOPIA Fiber Story” – an eye-opening documentary that tells the story of how a publicly-owned fiber network has ignited local Internet choice and competition across dozens of cities. The event will begin with a screening of the 24-minute film and then treat attendees to a live Red Carpet discussion with UTOPIA Fiber CEO Roger Timmerman and key leaders of two communities that are now part of the fast growing UTOPIA network – Sid Boswell, CEO of Yellowstone Fiber in Bozeman, Montana; and Bountiful, Utah Councilmember Kate Bradshaw.