For Pulse, “10 Gigabits” Isn’t Just Clever Marketing Language – It’s What We Can Deliver.
If you’ve been following the rollout of Pulse, you’ve heard the network described in many ways. Fiber-optic. Community-owned. Ultra-low latency. Reliable. For those excited to connect but who live in locations we’re not yet available, you’ve heard us described as “coming soon!” (…and we are! We’re on track to finish construction in Loveland by the end of 2023, and we cannot wait to serve you).
Most recently, you’ve heard it described as a 10 Gigabit network. That’s because our XGSPON network is able to deliver 10 Gigabits per second of connectivity – that’s 10,000 Mbps – to every address in our service territory*. It sounds a bit geeky, we admit, but it’s really quite a big deal. 😉 We are also able to do it symmetrically. That means it works with both the upload and the download data transfer – information coming to your home and leaving your home as you’d use on a video call for work or with family, a home school lesson, or with your doctor. We are the only network in Loveland that’s able to do this. In fact, we’re one of only a handful of providers in the country that is able to provide 10 Gigabits for every address within a particular city.
Many residents have told us they find this confusing. The Big One™️ is heavily marketing itself as “10G.” Lovelanders wonder how it is possible for a company to say that if they’re not able to do it.
It’s important to note that no other provider is using the language “10 Gigabits” to talk about their residential network performance. That’s because they’re not able to deliver that speed to most of the addresses they can serve. “10G” is used by some in the same way you might name a dog Rover. It’s a name to call your furry companion. But that’s all it is – a name. Rover’s name describes nothing about how well he is able to fetch, speak, roll over, or retrieve your slippers. Similarly, the name “10G” is not a reference to the service that the network is able to deliver for the vast majority of its users. It’s simply a marketing tactic that gives the public the impression the network is able to do more than it’s actually capable of.
The 10 Gigabit Challenge
The 10 Gigabit Challenge: Call any internet provider in Loveland and tell them you’d like to sign up for 10 Gigabit symmetrical internet. Ask what it costs to sign up for 10 Gigabits to your home. Explain you’d like to sign up today. See what they tell you. (ProTip: It will only be possible if you call Pulse!). If you don’t want to call, you can read PC World’s March 2023 article, “Don’t be fooled: ‘10G’ doesn’t mean what you think it does,” or The Street’s March 5, 2023 article, “An Internet Service Designed to Mislead Customers.”
If you’re interested in learning more about your community-owned, fiber-optic, 10 Gigabit internet provider, we’d love to answer any questions you’ve got. Visit us and subscribe online at pulsefiber.org, or call M-F 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to speak to a Loveland-based customer service representative at 970-541-4990.
*Our two caveats: 1. We are not quite done building out the entire city, but will be by the end of 2023. 2. There are many apartment buildings and multi-unit homes that are in our service territory where we need an Access Agreement before we can provide service. Visit pulsefiber.org/AccessRequest for resources about how you can help get your landlord or property management company to let you become a fiber-enabled home.
