Free Newsletter
Colorado town fights Qwest for fiber
Free newsletter via e-mail
Tools
Silverton is the only country seat in Colorado that is not connected to the rest of the state by fiber optics. Qwest has a $37 million contract with the state of Colorado to link every county seat with reliable high-speed Internet access, but the carrier admits it has no plans to run fiber 16 miles to the town by the time the contract runs out next year.
Residents have been protesting for more than five years that they don't have fiber, but Qwest has installed a microwave system that it says is fast, has plenty of capacity, and can be upgraded. State officials apparently decided that microwave was good enough, but businesses in Silverton run into capacity problems during the summer when tourists come into town; too many credit card purchases jam up the system. It also doesn't help that an avalanche took out a relay tower back in 2005, interrupting all phone and Internet service for about 24 hours.
The San Juan County attorney has filed a brief arguing that the town is legally entitled to fiber, citing contract language and minutes from a 2003 meeting where Qwest officials said microwave would be a temporary fix until fiber-optic cable could reach Silverton. In addition, a complaint is being filed with the state Public Utilities Commission, and the town is trying to get broadband stimulus money.
For more:
- Denver Post reports on Silverton's fight for fiber. Article
Related stories
In the more profitable ‘burbs, Qwest plans fiber ring expansion - FierceTelecom
Colorado: City looks for fiber partners, Qwest, Comcast say, uh, nope ...
Comments
Posted by Anonymous | January 2, 2010 - 7:18am
It's kind of tough to bury fiber IN granite. Additionally, if its done via aerial poles, and the proverbial tree falls in the woods, they'd be SOL till springtime. Tough call, but until fiber is justified, accessible towers such as coal-bank pass are a great alternative. Even once fiber is needed (like year 2090) the radio link can be a great backup.
;-)
Posted by JmSine | May 11, 2009 - 6:21pm
The fact is that the state apparently paid for Qwest to provide a high-speed fiber or equivalent link to every county seat in the state. Qwest cut corners and hoped no one would notice.
It is exactly towns like Silverton that need fiber the most. The town's geographic isolation and the narrow roads going in and out of town mean it should rely on high-tech businesses that can locate anywhere. No high-tech business will locate in a town with only a microwave link.
Posted by Dale | May 6, 2009 - 1:48pm
Microwave has less chance of failure, I think not. Microwave is more likely to be effected by the weather. Silverton is located in a snowy area surrounded by mountains. This requires additional towers that can be damaged by weather. Fiber would be buried underground. Humans cutting it is the most danger it faces. Silverton may not have a large population but it is the county seat and conducts business for all the towns in the county. If the contract called for reliable high speed internet via fiber, then the should install fiber. Even the long haul comms are getting away from microwave and going to fiber.
Posted by Anonymous | May 5, 2009 - 6:34pm
If the taxes have been earmarked for fiber, and the contract signed to complete a fiber deployment to all counties- and its the small counties finindg them selves on the short end of the stick? What you are looking at is most likely a profit margin issue and the small counties are paying the price. Typical.
Posted by Anonymous | May 5, 2009 - 10:11am
many small communities are fed by microwave verses fiber. some towns dont even know where they are connecting through. cell cites are feeding microwave and some are linked micro wave also. very biased report editor considering no population. microwave has less chance of failure than 16 miles of fiber. please post population editor.
Comments (5) | Post a comment