Just a few years ago, Utah was on the cutting edge of community-driven fiber networks, laying claim to two of the nation's largest municipal fiber builds. But last May, one of those networks (iProvo) was sold to Broadweave for $40 million. The other, Utopia, has so-far underperformed, with fewer subscribers than expected despite carriers offering 50Mbps fiber (albeit with a 100GB cap) for $39.95. The Salt Lake Tribune reports that a new citizen-advisory board (U-CAN) has been formed to help get Utopia on track. Says the creator:Municipal networks already have a tough road, given they're up against private-sector companies with deep pockets who'll go to any length to ensure these operations fail. A costly lawsuit by Qwest aimed at preventing the project from using utility poles delayed Utopia's launch by eighteen months. Network planners say incompetence at a federal loan program (RUS) also delayed promised funding. Local ISPs say Utopia officials hold some responsibilities too, by too tightly controlling the type of tiers that can be offered and not having a particularly effective business model geared toward staying competitive.

U-CAN's blog can be found here, for locals who are interested in having an impact on the future of the network.