(Murray, Utah—October 1, 2024) UTOPIA Fiber, the nation’s largest and most successful Open Access network, announced today the findings from its 2024 Customer Feedback Survey. Following a record-five completed Utah city builds in 2023, UTOPIA Fiber recently passed 70,000 subscribers and increased its Net Promoter Score to 61, all while delivering the fastest and most reliable internet speeds in the United States.
According to the results of its 2024 Survey, subscribers select UTOPIA Fiber based on several key factors. Reliability and speed tied at 99%, followed by price at 98% and the availability of an all-fiber network at 96%. Additionally, 94% of subscribers value the ability to choose their Internet Service Provider (ISP), 89% dislike large telecom providers, and 72% consider UTOPIA Fiber’s co-sponsorship by their city an important factor in their decision.
“Our 2024 Customer Feedback Survey confirms what we see and hear every day—Utahns value the speed, reliability, and superior customer experience that UTOPIA Fiber delivers,” said Roger Timmerman, Executive Director at UTOPIA Fiber. “Our commitment to providing choice, transparency, and community-owned networks clearly sets us apart from the incumbent providers. We thank our subscribers for their candid feedback and work hard to meet and exceed their expectations.”
Respondents ranked being a Utah-owned business, having a choice of ISPs, excellent customer service, partnering with local cities to build fiber networks, and a commitment to transparency and honesty as the top five things they love most about UTOPIA Fiber. When asked about the main reasons for their dissatisfaction with their previous internet provider, respondents ranked high prices (70%), slow speeds (58%), unreliable connection (55%), and poor customer service (53%) as top concerns. Secondary issues included hidden fees (31%), the unavailability of fiber in their area (30%), and binding contracts (29%).
Kim McKinley, Deputy Director & CMO at UTOPIA Fiber, added, “I always say that it’s the people and communities behind these networks that make them so successful. It’s both motivating and gratifying to read the thousands of comments from our customers who take the time to share their experience and what’s most important to them.”
Other key findings from the 2024 Customer Feedback Survey include:
- 99% recognize fiber as important infrastructure.
- 88% report everyone in their family can use Internet-connected devices without bandwidth issues.
- 87% agree that UTOPIA Fiber has improved their streaming experience.
- 85% experienced fewer Internet outages since joining UTOPIA Fiber.
- 80% heard about UTOPIA Fiber from their city, a friend, neighbor, or a family member.
- 75% believe UTOPIA Fiber’s network has improved their community.
Additionally, 94% of respondents report using their internet for streaming movies & TV, closely followed by browsing the web (92%), and then Smart Home devices (70%), remote work (68%), online gaming (52%), school (47%), and backup of large files to the cloud (31%).
Half of the UTOPIA Fiber survey respondents have selected speeds of 1 Gbps or higher; 33% have between 11-20 devices on their home network; 53% telecommute for work at least once a week, and 25% are fully remote.
Approximately 4,000 UTOPIA Fiber subscribers, ages 18+ were polled in twenty Utah cities—a response rate consistent with the 2023 survey. The sample size was from cities as small as Woodland Hills with a population of 1,500 residents to the second largest city in Utah, West Valley City, with a population of over 132,000.
About UTOPIA Fiber
Created by a group of Utah cities, the Utah Telecommunication Open Infrastructure Agency (UTOPIA), an inter-local agency, is a community-owned fiber optic network that uses the Open Access model to provide Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) services in 23 Utah cities and business-class service in 80 cities. With fiber availability to approximately 200,000 businesses and residences and more than 70,000 subscribers, UTOPIA Fiber is the largest and most successful Open Access network in the United States and enjoys the industry’s highest customer satisfaction scores. By giving its customers the freedom to choose from 18 private-sector ISPs, UTOPIA Fiber promotes competition and keeps internet pricing affordable. Since 2009, the agency has successfully designed, built, and operated nearly half-a-billion dollars worth of successful community broadband projects in Utah and the West, including operational partnerships with Idaho Falls, Yellowstone Fiber, and Bountiful Fiber, all of which have been funded by bonds which are paid back through subscriber revenue. For more information visit www.utopiafiber.com.
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Media contacts:
Katherine Songster
Account Director
(m) 914-323-8570
Kimberly McKinley
Chief Marketing Officer
(o) 801-613-3837
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