When Loveland\u2019s city-run broadband utility flipped the switch in June 2020, Pulse Manager Brieana Reed\u2011Harmel wasn\u2019t sure what to expect. Launching a multi-million dollar fiber optic network presented enough challenges, but launching during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic changed Pulse\u2019s game plan entirely.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had been planning to do a big celebration and bring the community out and we had to pivot to doing online,\u201d she recalled. \u201cInstead of doing balloons and party planning, we were designing Zoom backgrounds and sending out packages in the mail to folks, rather than packing gift bags for dignitaries.\u201d<\/p>\n
As it turned out, the timing couldn\u2019t have been better. With thousands of residents suddenly working and learning from home, demand for high-speed, reliable internet was peaking.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt really brought into stark contrast the need to have strong, reliable connections,\u201d Reed\u2011Harmel said. \u201cPrior to that, there was still a lot of discussion about broadband being a luxury \u2014 something for watching YouTube videos or playing games. But when everyone had to be at home, had to be connected, it really changed things.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was a turning point that helped Pulse gain early traction in the community. Now, the homegrown internet utility is marking a major milestone \u2014 five years of delivering high-speed, city-run broadband to thousands of Loveland homes and businesses.<\/p>\n
After a stronger than expected start, Pulse began connecting homes neighborhood by neighborhood, and, by the end of 2023, had fiber connections available to nearly every address in Loveland. Five years after its rollout, the percentage of potential customers who signed up, known as the \u201ctake rate,\u201d is 42%, far above the initial projection in the low 30s.<\/p>\n
In the meantime, the municipal broadband service has also earned a long list of national and local accolades, including from PCMag as one of the fastest and most reliable internet providers in the country.<\/p>\n
Beyond the numbers, Pulse has expanded its footprint outside of Loveland\u2019s boundaries. The utility is now building out service in the town of Timnath through an intergovernmental partnership and has worked to bring broadband access to underserved rural areas in the foothills west of Loveland. It also supplies internet to the Thompson School District, supporting connectivity for schools across the region.<\/p>\n
But most importantly to Reed-Harmel, customer feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.<\/p>\n
Les Cherry, the 27th customer to sign up with Pulse after its launch, said he made the switch because he was frustrated with his former provider\u2019s cost and performance.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had horrible service,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd, working from home, it was important for me to have reliable service.\u201d<\/p>\n
After considering his options, the software and information technology consultant decided to take a chance on Pulse, lured by its promises of faster service at a lower cost. Five years on, he said that Pulse has not only delivered on those promises, but gone far above and beyond his expectations.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m still on the least expensive service, and still very, very happy with it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Pulse also has big fans in Loveland\u2019s business community. Andrew Hardin, an IT systems specialist who supports several Loveland businesses, including downtown co-working space Desk Chair, said the arrival of the city-run network was transformative.<\/p>\n
Like Cherry, Hardin said Desk Chair\u2019s former internet provider had struggled with outages, long downtimes and questionable customer service, and switching to Pulse has been a \u201cgame changer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been thrilled,\u201d Hardin said. \u201cThe uptime has been fantastic. \u2026They do maintenance in the night time, not during the day and we just have no issues.\u201d<\/p>\n
But what really sets Pulse apart, he continued, is the local support.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re not calling a massive corporation with headquarters in another state,\u201d Hardin said. \u201cYou\u2019re talking to people who are local, who can drop by and talk through things in person. That\u2019s been invaluable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hardin now recommends Pulse to his clients whenever it\u2019s available, saying it \u201cjust makes sense\u201d for small businesses in Loveland.<\/p>\n
Reed\u2011Harmel said the kind of feedback shared by customers like Cherry and Hardin reflects what Pulse set out to build, namely a utility built on \u201ccommitment to the community, hyper local customer service and reliability.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOur team is fully committed to the cause,\u201d Reed-Harmel said. \u201cWe live and work here in Loveland, our children go to school here. We shop at local businesses and eat out here. We want Loveland to be successful, and we know that by doing the best job we can every day, we\u2019re contributing to that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Still, she\u2019s quick to point out that Pulse\u2019s success didn\u2019t come without setbacks.<\/p>\n
Building out a new utility during a global pandemic meant figuring out how to enter people\u2019s homes safely while still delivering service, which caused some delays. And after the pandemic peaked, supply chain disruptions and inflation drove up the cost of materials, prompting Pulse in 2022 to seek a $15 million inter-city loan from the power utility to keep the build-out going.<\/p>\n
And Loveland\u2019s rapid pace of new residential development has added another layer of complexity.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a good problem to have, but it\u2019s still a challenge,\u201d she said. \u201cJust as we\u2019re finishing the initial buildout, we\u2019re also working to keep up with growth.\u201d<\/p>\n
But not all neighborhoods have been reached equally. Residents at a mobile home park on the city\u2019s east side have expressed frustration that their community still isn\u2019t connected, especially as Pulse expands into places like Timnath.<\/p>\n
Fred Jacobs, Pulse public relations and brand engagement manager, acknowledged those concerns and said the organization is working on finishing up those final connections.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know we are working and scheduling as fast as we can,\u201d Jacobs said in an email. \u201cWe do try to put maps up on the website that talk about roughly where we are working and future sites but we don\u2019t get more specific as competition would target our specificity before we could \u201cgo live\u201d there. So we\u2019ll get there!\u201d<\/p>\n
He went on to say that the Timnath project is not interfering with more local construction.<\/p>\n
\u201c(It\u2019s an) entirely separate buildout, separate crew allocation \u2014 not taking resources of any kind away from Loveland projects,\u201d he said. \u201cOur contract with Timnath is funded by the town of Timnath so they pay for their own Pulse resources as they build out.\u201d<\/p>\n
As for what to expect in Pulse\u2019s next five years, Reed\u2011Harmel said the focus will be on deepening community ties and expanding access beyond Loveland\u2019s borders.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re so proud of what we\u2019ve been able to offer Loveland, and we feel that it should be shared with other communities,\u201d she said. \u201cWe feel very strongly that community broadband is unique and special, and what Loveland has, others should have it too.\u201d<\/p>\n
That means continuing the buildout in Timnath, pursuing additional regional partnerships and keeping a close watch on federal broadband funding programs that could help support further expansion. At the same time, she said, Pulse will stay focused on reliability, customer service, and adapting to new technology as bandwidth demands continue to grow.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis has been the most challenging and most rewarding thing I\u2019ve ever done in my career,\u201d Reed\u2011Harmel said. \u201cTo actually see it come together and be more successful than I was even anticipating has been hugely satisfying.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pulse plans to celebrate its five-year anniversary over the coming months at events throughout Loveland and is giving away five \u201cfree internet for a year\u201d prizes. It is also offering a five-year price lock of their 2 gigabyte service plans.<\/p>\n