New group plugs city-owned broadband

As a longtime advocate of municipally owned broadband networks, Utahn Jesse Harris is a strong supporter of the Utah Telecommunication Open Infrastructure Agency, a consortium of 14 Utah cities that seeks to build a broadband network under the "Utopia" banner. Harris, who operates the Web site www.freeutopia.org, also is leading a new group known as the Utopia Citizens Advisory Network.

What is the Utopia Citizens Advisory Network and how did it get started?

U-CAN got started after a meeting with Todd Marriott, Utopia's new executive director. Having more open and clear communication is a key strategy of the new management and formulating a way to get input outside of government channels was crucial. Since I've been leading the charge on Utopia advocacy for nearly two years, he asked me to head up the group. Anyone who would like to assist us is welcome to get involved.

What role do you anticipate U-CAN playing in the future development of the Utopia network?

The core purpose of U-CAN is to help Utopia succeed and I see several ways we can do that. We definitely need to provide a venue for both praise and criticism so that we know what's being done right and what's being done wrong. We also can encourage each other to talk to friends, neighbors and family about the benefits of the network to encourage more rapid adoptions. It's also a great way to share information on current happenings and get questions answered.

Along with getting input from U-CAN members, what else do you believe Utopia's new management team must do to be successful?

Marketing is going to be critical going forward. Many residents of Utopia member cities don't know what Utopia is, and many who know what it is don't entirely understand the mission or purpose of the network. There needs to be a strong emphasis on the quality of the next-generation services that will be available over the network, the ability to choose more providers in a competitive marketplace, and the economic benefits to cities, businesses and residents.

Do you anticipate U-CAN playing any role in promoting the development of municipal broadband networks outside of Utopia member cities?

At our first meeting, most of the attendees came from nonmember cities looking for an update on where things are. Many cities have rightfully waited on the sidelines to see how Utopia performs before making a decision on joining. Our goal is to help Utopia succeed and that includes adding new member cities to maximize the use of the network operations center and fiber-optic backbone. Adding more potential subscribers also means that more service providers will be willing to jump on board, and that benefits both Utopia and those taking services.

- Steve Oberbeck