New TV ads go after UTOPIA and other government-run internet providers

A new TV ad is running in Utah, criticizing government-run internet providers. The ads are part of a $1 million blitz to warn about problems associated with municipal internet systems, including high costs and a lack of regulatory oversight. The Domestic Policy Caucus is running them under the name NoGovInternet.com. The campaign makes the argument that government should not be involved in providing internet access. It is aimed squarely at UTOPIA Fiber, a coalition of municipalities that provide network access to 60,000 customers in 20 cities across Utah and partners with cities in Montana and Idaho. The Utah Telecommunication Open Infrastructure Agency (UTOPIA) was founded in 2011 by 11 cities to provide fiber service to consumers and businesses. The American Association for Public Broadband, which advocates for public broadband, criticized the ads as "dark money attacks" and blamed "big cable." For UTOPIA Fiber, the attack ads are coming out of nowhere. "We're probably as surprised as anyone to see them because there really isn’t any sort of decision or legislation or anything that’s targeting UTOPIA," said Roger Timmerman, UTOPIA Fiber's executive director.