Jan. 12, 2001--
(Salt Lake City-AP) -- Legislative leaders are threatening to halt Provo's move into the telecommunications business.
House Majority Leader Kevin Garn said Provo wants to create an empire" by purchasing financially troubled Provo Cable Company and planning a possible 34 (M)million dollars system upgrade so the city can offer high-speed telecommunications to businesses and residents.
He made the comment yesterday at the Utah Taxpayers Association's annual pre-legislative conference. The association represents Utah businesses in lobbying on taxation issues.
Garn said Assistant House Majority Whip Greg Curtis is preparing legislation that would require cities to divest themselves of such telecommunications systems or limit them to providing basic service connections to companies that would retail the service to homeowners and businesses.
Robert Stockwell, Provo's chief administrative officer, told the conference the city got into the business in order to provide high-speed data transmission links to its agencies. It then decided to expand it to everyone because AT&T would not offer the technology citywide for years.
(Copyright 2001 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
