**Exhibit 31.1**

 

# **Certifications**

 

I, Richard A. Smith, certify that:

 

1. I have reviewed this quarterly report onForm 10-Q of Eschelon Telecom, Inc.,

 

2. Based on my knowledge, this report doesnot contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a materialfact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances underwhich such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the periodcovered by this report;

 

3. Based on my knowledge, the financialstatements, and other financial information included in this report, fairlypresent in all material respects the financial condition, results of operationsand cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in thisreport;

 

4. The registrant’s other certifying officerand I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls andprocedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e)) for the registrant andhave:

 

a)              Designed suchdisclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls andprocedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that materialinformation relating to the registrant, including its consolidatedsubsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularlyduring the period in which this report is being prepared;

 

b)             Evaluated theeffectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures andpresented in this report our conclusions about effectiveness of the disclosurecontrols and procedures, as of the end of period covered by this report basedon such evaluation; and

 

c)              Disclosed inthis report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financialreporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (theregistrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of a annual report) that hasmaterially affected, or reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’sinternal control over financial reporting; and

 

5. The registrant’s other certifying officerand I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal controlover financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committeeof registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalentfunctions):

 

a)              All significantdeficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internalcontrol over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adverselyaffect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize, and reportfinancial information; and

 

b)             Any fraud,whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have asignificant role in the registrant’s control over financial reporting.

 
|   |            |                                   |
|--------|-----------------|----------------------------------------|
|   |            |                                   |
|   | August 15, 2005 |
|   |            |                                   |
|   |            |                                   |
|   | Sign:           | /S/ Richard A. Smith                   |
|   |            | Richard  A. Smith                      |
|   |            | President  and Chief Executive Officer |

 

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