[1st-mile-nm] An example from Utah

[Richard Lowenberg]

 From today's Salt Lake Tribune:
www.sltrib.com/technology/ci_14764350

Utah's rural telephone companies, which serve more than 96,000  
customers over 80 percent of the geographical area of the state, are  
in the broadband race, having armed themselves with the some of the  
latest technology.

"We're years ahead of the game," said Chuck McCown, president and CEO  
of Beehive Telephone. He estimated that about 5 percent of Beehive's  
7,000 customers have a fiber-optic connection, but more are added on a  
regular basis.

Beehive has a standing offer to its customers, McCown said. "If they  
can get six of their neighbors within a quarter mile of one another to  
commit to fiber-optic service, then we'll build a line to the area."

Although Beehive charges around $750 as a connection fee, McCown said  
the company will reduce that amount by half if the customer digs his  
or her own trench for the fiber-optic line that runs from the street  
to their home. "We also give them a $50 credit for each year that they  
have been a customer of our high-speed wireless network."

McCown said all of the rural phone companies in Utah are making  
similar efforts.

"We compete in the Tooele Valley right along with Qwest and Comcast,  
and between us the people living in that area can get about any kind  
of service they want. But unlike Qwest and Comcast, we invest almost  
every penny we make back into our company."