Some years, muni telecom gets a break. This year isn’t one of them. Rep. Keith Grover has introduced HB273 which would effectively ban Provo from using utility surcharges as a way to cover iProvo debt payment shortfalls. It’s unclear as to if this would have any effect on UTOPIA, but the bill does include some vague language concerning charging “just and reasonable” rates. Depending on how the legislation is implemented, this could prevent UTOPIA from differentiating wholesale prices depending on volume or require that they match rates with other networks.
Any way you slice it, this is a bill very explicitly targeted at removing operational flexibility from municipal networks. I highly recommend you contact Rep. Grover to urge him to reconsider.
