However, the public company is mostly known for offering high-speed internet access that dwarfs the speeds offered by private Internet Services Providers, or ISPs. UTOPIA has since evolved into a massive fifteen-city infrastructure body spanning Utah’s northeastern quadrant that offers services such as smart irrigation, traffic control, water meter reading, and air sensor controls to combat wildfires common in the area. UTOPIA executive director Roger Timmerman likens open access networks to how roads, bridges, and airports are constructed by the city for residents, yet still allow for private companies like FedEx and UPS to conduct business. It began as a way for cities to install fiber optic connectivity to cities and lease Fiber-to-the-Home wholesale to existing telecommunications corporations. It was created in 2002 when a consortium of eleven cities in Utah along Salt Lake convened to create one of the most ambitious public works projects in Utah history. The largest such network in operation in the United States is the Utah Telecommunication Open Infrastructure Agency, or UTOPIA. Similar projects exist throughout the country, including in Washington State, Colorado, Maine, and Kentucky. ![]() An open access network is one that is built and financed, usually by municipalities, communities, or through private-public partnerships, and then leased to private internet service providers, like Comcast or AT&T. The referendum provides a unique opportunity to envision a more innovative way to connect Illinoisans-through investment in an open access broadband network. In the Weekly’s October 14 issue, City Bureau’s Lynda Lopez reported that in addition to public officials and a graduated income tax amendment, Chicagoans will also vote on a non-binding referendum about whether Chicago should ensure citywide access to broadband internet.
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