UTOPIA FIBER: Advancing Open Access Networks

November 27, 2023

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CASE STUDY

UTOPIA FIBER

ADVANCING OPEN ACCESS NETWORKS

UTOPIA (Utah Telecommunications Open Infrastructure Agency) Fiber offers some of the fastest internet speeds in the U.S. — up to 10 Gigabits! This incredible network speed outpaces what is available to most of the country. Providing subscribers with this high-quality internet is possible because the company built its fiber network using an Active Ethernet infrastructure with all fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) connections to every house and business. Using Active Ethernet, UTOPIA Fiber has future-proofed its network to allow for easy scalability and upgrades as new telecom tech becomes available. UTOPIA Fiber is always looking for new telecom tech, and its partner, Millennium, continues to be a resource for keeping current network growth on track and exploring how to meet the future needs of its fiber network that supports smart city applications.

Meet UTOPIA FIBER

UTOPIA Fiber began when 11 cities in Utah joined together in 2004 to bring high-speed fiber, phone, and television services to their residents and spur local economic development. UTOPIA is also advancing smart city solutions. About 19 years after starting operations, UTOPIA Fiber now operates one of the largest open access networks in the United States (Fierce Telecom, 2022). The company’s incredible growth and work advancing smart city technology is a testament to how municipal networks can not only close the digital divide but also support the rise of smart cities.

Pioneering Smart Cities With Open Access Fiber

RESIDENTIAL
BUSINESSES
GOVERNMENT

UTOPIA Fiber offers 15 residential internet service providers to homes and Multiple Dwelling Units (MDUs).

UTOPIA Fiber partners with 25+ local and national internet service providers to connect small and large businesses with scalable internet solutions ranging from 30 Mbps to 100 Gps.

Small Businesses   • Enterprise/Carrier • Developers/MDU • Government

UTOPIA Fiber connects vital city services like water, fire, police, schools, and libraries to reliable, high-speed internet capable of handling high-bandwidth demands. Companies and cities reached out to UTOPIA Fiber for the team’s expertise on creating an open access network. This led the team to start open access fiber consulting to business and city governments outside its service area. The company has supported the creation of open access networks in rural areas of multiple states.

The UTOPIA Fiber Smart City Team heads innovative smart city projects that make Utah cities greener and safer. These initiatives would not be possible without the high-speed connectivity that the company provides.

THE EDWIN PROJECT

(Early-Detection Wildfire Imaging Network)

UTOPIA Fiber is helping to keep Utah residents living in high-risk wildfire areas safer with thermal imagining cameras connected to its fiber network. These thermal detectors can detect hotspots and alert firefighters automatically before fires break out. Before this project, participating cities had to rely mostly on manual fire reporting by citizens.

Cities with thermal cameras: 4

SMART CITY LAB INNOVATION

(Early-Detection Wildfire Imaging Network)

UTOPIA Fiber has four Smart City applications that use analytics to improve city services and reduce costs. The team created Smart City Innovation Lab to advance applications and to create and beta test new solutions.
Smart City Applications Developed By UTOPIA Fiber:

Fire detection through the EDWIN project
Air quality sensors feed real-time data worldwide on the Purple Air website
Wi-Fi hotspots in 39 locations across 5 cities.
Internet connections for city buildings that keep critical city services running at maximum efficiency.

Working with a Committed Partner

UTOPIA Fiber has been partnering with Millennium all the way back to 2018, when the company placed its first supply order with Millennium. At the time UTOPIA Fiber was looking for better ways to keep inventory up to date and decided to work with Millennium as a solution.

Supplying materials from Millennium warehouses near UTOPIA Fiber’s project sites helped construction stay on track throughout the pandemic. In 2020, UTOPIA Fiber completed fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) projects in three Utah cities, building both aerial and underground fiber. They completed the Layton buildout in March, Morgan City in April, and West Point in December. When supply chain issues hit the fiber industry the hardest in 2021, UTOPIA Fiber managed to successfully complete two more city build outs in Midvale City and Payson City, Utah, sourcing materials from Millennium warehouses that offered service quality and available product with quick lead times.   

When UTOPIA Fiber can construct 45+ miles of fiber a month, which is no small feat, the team continues to put its trust in the Millennium team’s ability to simplify materials management and meet expected delivery times to achieve expansion goals. As a main supplier for UTOPIA Fiber, Millennium currently sources about 90% of UTOPIA Fiber’s materials. The UTOPIA Fiber team anticipates a lasting relationship with Millennium because of the first-class customer service and reliability the team experiences.