Lehi's city-owned fiber network has signed up more than 7,000 subscribers in its first year. The system still needs about 3,500 more to pay for itself.

The network, completed in August 2025, reached a 30% take rate across its approximately 23,000 homes and businesses, Lehi City fiber manager Shaye Ruitenbeek told the Lehi Free Press. That is up from 23% to 24% earlier in the rollout. But to cover bond obligations without dipping into city reserves, the system needs approximately 10,500 subscribers, or about a 38% take rate.

The gap matters because the network was financed with a bond the City Council approved in 2020. A 2020 feasibility study by Magellan Advisors estimated the total bond at nearly $65 million, with construction accounting for about $50.3 million. According to a city press release announcing the Strata Networks partnership in December 2021, the bond is backed by the city and intended to be repaid solely through subscriber revenues.

The city originally forecast reaching the 38% break-even mark within three to four years after construction. Ruitenbeek noted that Lehi's continued growth increases the number of locations the network passes while the bond amount stays fixed.

"From that perspective, subscriber growth is the metric we are focused on, and we are tracking as anticipated," he said.

The city plans to present an updated financial and operational overview to the City Council during an October work session. That presentation will address the network's progress toward long-term financial sustainability, Ruitenbeek said.

Lehi built the network in a public-private partnership with Strata Networks, which operates and maintains the 400-plus miles of fiber. The city owns the physical infrastructure. Five internet service providers compete for customers over the same lines: CentraCom, Beehive Broadband, Intellipop, Sumo Fiber and XMission, according to the city's fiber page.

Ruitenbeek said competition among the five providers puts downward pressure on pricing. The network's six-month Net Promoter Score sits at about 43, which Ruitenbeek described as reflecting high customer satisfaction.

New residential and commercial developments are generally folded into the network as Lehi grows, unless a development has an exclusive agreement with another provider. Developers are responsible for building the pathways that connect to the city's fiber infrastructure.

A specific date for the October council work session has not been announced. Residents can check the City Council agenda on the city's website for updates.