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Keystone Solutions pitches $1.5–$3 million fiber build for Uintah using state-administered federal funds
Summary
Keystone Solutions asked the Uintah City Council for letters of recommendation to support bringing fiber into the community, estimating a $1.5–$3 million phased project using Utah's federal broadband funds, with residential service targeted at $50–$55 per month and an estimated 30% subscription threshold for viability.
Keystone Solutions presented a plan to extend fiber‑optic broadband into Uintah that would use federal rural infrastructure funding administered by the state of Utah. Scot Mathews said the statewide program totals about $317 million and that a phased deployment in Uintah would cost between $1.5 million and $3 million, with no anticipated construction cost to the city.
Mathews said residential service is expected to be in the $50–$55 per month range and commercial service around $80 per month. He told the council the project would require roughly 30% household participation to be financially viable and that Keystone would conduct pre‑sales to measure community interest before construction. "The lifespan of fiber is 50–100 years," Mathews said, adding that the company is currently using fiber installed 50 years ago in other projects.
Council members pressed for technical and cost details. Council Member Sorenson asked how Keystone would reach the internet backbone; Mathews replied the company would connect through an interchange and transport its own bandwidth across its system. Mathews said installation fees have been estimated in the $3,000–$6,000 range but the company expects actual per‑location costs to be lower, and he confirmed the firm offers 24/7 local customer support.
Keystone asked the city to provide letters of recommendation to help secure the "gift of fiber" into the community, after which right‑of‑way and installation discussions would follow. Mathews also cautioned that while fiber is durable, service would be interrupted during outages unless end users have generator or battery backup.
Next steps discussed at the meeting include council consideration of a letter of recommendation and continued technical follow‑up between Keystone and city staff.
