Gigabit Nation

Those who’ve felt that cities are being asked to give up too much for their broadband dance with Google and other companies should take a close look at Macquarie's deal with UTOPIA. These cities are getting a pretty good deal here from their partner: a guaranteed open access network, revenue sharing, cities retaining ownership of the fiber assets when the agreement period ends, and both businesses and individuals get wired.  Can cities considering deals with private-sector companies use the Macquarie deal to establish new negotiating parameters? Wayne Pyle, UTOPIA's Chairman of the Board, and Jesse Harris, Editor of FreeUTOPIA and Utah broadband analyst, dissect elements of the deal being struck with UTOPIA cities, analyzes how they were able to negotiate from a position of strength and discusses why other communities may want to re-think their approach to partnerships.   Pyle and Harris provide details on how UTOPIA overcame its early challenges, and thoughts on how cities may proceed over the next 12 mont