CenturyLink beats Silverton in Round 1 over fiber optics

A judge for the Colorado Public Utilities Commission has ruled against Silverton in its bid to force CenturyLink -- formerly Qwest Communications -- to complete a 16-mile fiber-optic linkup to the small mountain town north of Durango.

The decision means Silverton will remain the only county seat in Colorado that lacks a fiber-optic connection. The town plans to appeal the decision issued this month by Administrative Law Judge G. Harris Adams to the three full-time PUC commissioners, said Patrick Swonger, a Silverton town trustee. Silverton and San Juan County officials accuse of failing to complete a $37 million state contract to provide high-speed fiber-optic connections to every county seat by June 30, 2005. Qwest laid fiber as far as Cascade Village but stopped there, saying it could not obtain rights of way all the way to Silverton. Instead, Qwest completed the connection with a microwave-radio link-up that provides high-speed connectivity to Silverton. CenturyLink said the service complies with all applicable standards, and there is no requirement for a fiber network to provide additional broadband capacity.