Sil icon ▁Valley ," ▁subst itut ing ▁Ut ah ' s ▁mountains ▁( s lop es ) ▁for ▁Northern ▁California ' s ▁Santa ▁Clara ▁Valley . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Histor ically , ▁the ▁region ▁had ▁been ▁home ▁to ▁a ▁state ▁prison ▁and ▁far ml and ▁and ▁little ▁else . ▁Ut ah ' s ▁dec ades - long ▁history ▁of ▁government ▁contract ▁work ▁and ▁innov ative ▁Ut ah ▁business es ' ▁early ▁invol vement ▁in ▁the ▁te ch ▁industry , ▁include ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁the ▁Internet ▁as ▁the ▁fourth ▁node ▁of ▁AR P AN ET . ▁These ▁found ations ▁were ▁built ▁over ▁years , ▁and ▁established ▁Ut ah ' s ▁ability ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁leading ▁technology ▁center . ▁Ut ah ▁also ▁has ▁a ▁strong ▁Internet ▁back bone ; ▁it ▁was ▁a ▁Google ▁F iber ▁early ▁expansion ▁city ▁with ▁service ▁now ▁available ▁in ▁Pro vo ▁and ▁Salt ▁Lake ▁City . ▁ ▁Government ▁partners hips ▁ ▁Ut ah ▁has ▁a ▁long ▁history ▁of ▁partners hips ▁with ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Department ▁of ▁Def ense ▁that ▁have ▁contributed ▁to ▁lay ing ▁the ▁ground work ▁for ▁the ▁state ' s ▁high - tech ▁business ▁environment ▁and ▁infrastr ucture . ▁David ▁C . ▁Evans , ▁a ▁native ▁of ▁Salt ▁Lake ▁City , ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁original ▁pione ers ▁of ▁computer ▁science ▁in ▁Ut ah ▁and ▁its ▁ground bre aking ▁work ▁with ▁the ▁Do D . ▁During ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁Evans ▁worked ▁as ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁computer ▁science ▁department ▁at ▁the