Construction on both cities' UTOPIA networks is under way. In Centerville (pop. 16,250), customers in some parts of the city will be able to order high-speed Internet, telephone and television services by the end of the year; total access is scheduled to be available by March 2008.

Centerville will have more than 74 miles of buried cable and more than 20 miles of aerial cable.

Comcast and Qwest offer high-speed access in Centerville, although city officials say there are parts of the city where individuals and businesses cannot receive it.

Under UTOPIA, "Everybody within the city will have an opportunity to connect," said Centerville Assistant City Manager Blaine Lutz.

Construction in Layton (pop. 68,200) might take longer to complete because of Layton's size, Mayor Steve Curtis said.

Fourteen Utah cities are set to be part of the UTOPIA network in the coming years. Centerville and Layton are among a handful of cities - including Tremonton, Brigham City and Perry - that probably will have complete fiber-optic networks within a year.

"There's a lot going on in our network right now," said Roger Black, UTOPIA's chief operating officer.

The UTOPIA system, short for the Utah Telecommunications Open Infrastructure Agency, was created five years ago and is supported by communities where officials believe that traditional telecommunications companies are moving too slowly to bring high-speed broadband to their areas.

Since UTOPIA was created, competing telecom companies have expanded their offerings of high-speed service via cable and DSL. In most areas, UTOPIA will offer an alternative to other service providers instead of being the sole provider of high-speed service.

UTOPIA officials believe that some telecom companies eventually will pay to use the UTOPIA network and offer individuals and businesses various service plans. Pricing for Centerville and Layton has not yet been determined.

The cities have pledged taxpayer money to partially back an estimated $350 million in bonds and loans that will be needed to finance construction of the UTOPIA network. Cities will pay that money only if the UTOPIA system fails to generate enough revenue to pay off its debts.

UTOPIA has more than 6,000 customers in West Valley, Murray, Midvale, Orem, Payson and Lindon.

lesley@sltrib.com

UTOPIA cities

Fourteen Utah cities have signed on to a system that will enable individuals and businesses to access high-speed broadband service over a fiber-optic network:

* Brigham City

* Cedar City

* Cedar Hills

* Centerville

* Layton

* Lindon

* Midvale

* Murray

* Orem

* Payson

* Perry

* Riverton

* Tremonton

* West Valley