The company, which began developing its network in 1998, was privately funded with more than $500 million provided by investors that included Cisco Systems and Intel.

"It would have been better for us if the government had funded the development of the network," Birgersson said. "Then we could have concentrated our efforts on developing additional new products and services for people."

Still, Birgersson said the privately funded effort in Sweden is a huge success with more than 42 percent of those with access to the network receiving services over its fiber-opt lines.

Ironically, Birgersson is one of the featured speakers at Broadband Cities 2005, a two-day gathering that began Monday at the E-Center in West Valley City.

The event has brought together several hundred civic leaders and municipal managers from around the world. Many maintain that private businesses are unwilling to bring broadband services to their communities so local governments need to step in and build their own networks.

One of the leading participants at Broadband Cities is UTOPIA, an affiliation of 14 Utah cities that have pledged millions in taxpayer dollars to back bonds that are funding development of a high-speed network that promises eventually to provide fiber-optic access to more than 170,000 homes and businesses in the cities involved.

UTOPIA's proponents, such as Murray Mayor Dan Snarr, contend the 14-city fiber-optic development will be so successful that no taxpayer money will be needed to subsidize the network.

But if it is, the earliest UTOPIA's 14 cities can be asked to subsidize the network is July 31, 2007.

Broadband Cities' participants, however, received assurances from Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah, that they have a role to play in broadband development within their communities.

"I'm a free enterprise kind of guy, but private enterprise didn't provide the highways and roads in this country," Cannon said following his opening remarks. "It is much the same thing with broadband. The regional telephone companies don't want it to happen because they don't want the competition."

Late last week, however, Qwest Communications announced it intends to wire with fiber-optic lines the nearly 14,000 homes and more than 9 million square feet of office space at Kennecott Land's future Daybreak development in South Jordan.

"We are providing a suite of services that we have never provided anywhere in Utah before," said Jerry Fenn, president of Qwest's Utah operations.

West Valley City Manager Wayne Pyle, who is attending the Broadband Cities 2005, said he found it ironic that Qwest is jumping on the fiber-optic bandwagon now that UTOPIA is busy constructing its network. "Two years ago, Qwest didn't feel fiber optic lined need to be deployed."

But Qwest spokesman Vince Hancock said the company always has looked for projects that will allow it to deploy fiber optic lines. "We have long said that we will lay fiber where it makes economic sense for the company, such as in new developments."

steve@sltrib.com