Tag Archive for: Loveland Pulse

USDA Awards Pulse $1M Grant to Expand Service Up the Big Thompson Canyon

 

A $1.037 million grant awarded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and their “Community Connect Program” will provide the funding needed for Pulse to expand deeper into Big Thompson Canyon.

Where We Will Build

Pulse will use the funding to connect the Viestenz-Smith Mountain Park area to high-speed, fiber optic internet and other communications including phone access. This access can be crucial to underserved communities during emergencies such as the Alexander Mountain Fire which struck the area in the summer of 2024. In addition, 223 residents and four businesses in the Cedar Cove, Bartram Park and Idlewild Lane areas will also be able to receive Pulse services, including a direct fiber line to their home or business, PulseTV, and home phone.

As part of the grant requirements, Pulse will be adding internet access at community centers within VS Mt Park and Stoney River Lodge. This means visitors and residents will have access to wireless internet connections in these public areas.

Logistics

Because the canyon falls outside of Loveland city limits Pulse partnered with Larimer County to apply for the grant and will split the cost of the required 15% match with the county.

Providing ubiquitous access to high-speed internet has been one of Pulse’s goals since our inception, and this funding helps us take a massive step towards continuing to serve our community.

Pulse already has aerial lines up parts of the Big Thompson Canyon but will start the main construction process sometime next year.

To learn more, check out this article in The Loveland Reporter Herald.

Pulse Collaborates with Local Artist Amelia Furman

When thinking about Pulse’s commitment to connecting the community, the first thing that may come to mind is that it’s the Fastest Internet in Colorado, or our commitment to volunteerism, but there’s another thing that Pulse does to connect the community; we support local!

A recent example that we’re excited about was teaming up with local artist Amelia Furman. Amelia is a Loveland based artist who creates collaborative art. In 2023, Amelia was featured at the Colorado Broadband Office’s BEAD Press Conference, held here in Loveland at Forge Campus.

The Creative Process

At the event, Amelia invited the attendees to participate in a collaborative art piece to commemorate the occasion. During the event, Pulse employees and community members drew dots paired with a number on a canvas.

“I love collaborations and community connecting types of projects, and this seemed to fit perfectly,” said Amelia when asked about why she decided to work with Pulse on the piece.

After the event Amelia took the canvas back to her studio and began connecting the dots. She then brought a vision to life by overlaying various pieces of paper material that connected with Pulse. These included drawings of fiber, pictures of internet pioneers, the Pulse logo and more.

After this Amelia continued with her unique art style where she painted over the other layers of the piece. The lower layers of  the piece continued to show through in some spots as the art began to look more like a traditional painting. The painted overlay is of an aspen grove that Amelia says is inspired by Colorado forests. The aspen grove was chosen because when Amelia began researching fiber lines, the thin, illuminative pieces of glass that deliver internet via pulses of light reminded her of the famous trees. Similarly, each individual aspen grove is one singular organism, all connected and intertwined.

Community Focus

Much like Pulse, Amelia’s art is often focused on community. She does a plethora of community projects including one that she is just finishing up for the House of Neighborly Services in Loveland.  Amelia believes in the power of community coming together and supporting each other.

“If there’s no heart and no soul in the community in the form of creativity and beauty, then it’s not a place you’re going to want to hang out,” said Amelia.

With Pulse moving into a new office, we have the unique opportunity to create a space that is both practical and comfortable. For that reason, the art will be hung in our new office as a reminder of our commitment to the spectacular community we serve.

Loveland Utilities Reminds you to Call Before you Dig

As we all continue to welcome warmer weather Pulse and Loveland Water and Power are reminding all residents to call the Colorado Utility Locator, otherwise known as Colorado 811, before doing any digging or excavation on their property. This proactive step enables residents to be informed about where utility infrastructure exists, so that people and critical utilities remain safe when work is done on residential or commercial properties.

Throughout the year, Loveland Water and Power, and Pulse deliver dependable utility services, striving to maintain service uptimes above 99%. However, instances of power and internet lines being cut or damaged by residents and contractors remain one of the most common disturbances to this reliability.

In an effort to keep everybody in the community safe and free from service outages it is essential to request locates be placed on your property three business days before you plan to do any digging. By now you might be saying to yourself, “But if I’m only digging a few inches, it shouldn’t be a problem, right?” Wrong. The Colorado Utility Locator website states: “No matter how shallow or deep you’re digging, you must contact 811 first. Colorado State law defines excavation as ‘any operation in which earth is moved or removed by any means of tools…and includes auguring, backfilling, boring, ditching, drilling, grading, plowing-in, pulling-in, ripping, scraping, trenching, hydro excavating, postholing, and tunneling”.

Utility cables can be cut or damaged when residents and contractors begin tilling gardens, trenching to install sprinkler systems, digging to put in a fence and various other landscaping projects. Utility lines from the curb to the property are only buried about a foot underground. This leaves a small margin of error for residents doing home improvement projects, which is why it is best to ensure you know the location of all utilities that may be on your property.

The City of Loveland thanks you in advance for doing your part to protect yourself, others, and the community from unexpected outages and possible line breaks by calling 811 or going online to www.colorado811.org before doing any home improvement projects that requires breaking ground.

For more information about calling 811 or for safe digging practices, residents can call the Colorado Utility Locator at 303-232-1991.

Get to know Pulse’s HomePass®️

Loveland’s only 10 Gigabit community-powered Internet, WiFi, TV, and Voice provider just got even better! Pulse’s Adaptive WiFi+ suite combines an award-winning intuitive app with discreet WiFi 6 SuperPods placed throughout your home. HomePass® is a whole-home managed WiFi solution that gives you peace of mind that your digital ecosystem is protected. Better than a traditional mesh WiFi system, HomePass® delivers powerful tools that optimize network and device performance.

ADAPT

Enjoy reliable, consistent, blazing-fast WiFi that adapts to you.

CONTROL

Choose what devices and content kids & guests can access.

GUARD

Protect against online threats, unwanted ads, and hackers.

SENSE

Whole-home motion awareness for peace of mind.

Pulse services Loveland and surrounding areas. Interested subscribers can check current availability in their area at pulsefiber.org/CheckAvailability. For more information about Pulse, new symmetrical fiber internet speeds and Adaptive WiFi+ visit pulsefiber.org.

No Home Left Offline:Qualifying Households Save $44.95 Per Month With Pulse’s ACP Supplement

In the United States, only 30% of households that are eligible for internet assistance have signed up for the federal Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). In Loveland, the adoption rate is even lower at just 19%, according to Education Superhighway, a national non-profit with a mission to close the digital divide. That means 81% of people in Loveland who could benefit from internet payment assistance each month are not currently receiving it.

Ensuring that all Lovelanders have access to the highest quality connectivity to work, study, access health care, and play is the reason Pulse exists. We are proud to be able to help make this critical resource even more accessible for our most vulnerable community members.”

— BRIEANA REED-HARMEL, Fiber Manager

The federal ACP offers qualifying households $30 per month of assistance with their internet costs. Pulse has made the program even more helpful by adding an additional $14.95 per month of assistance – for a total of $44.95 – making the Starter package FREE for those who are eligible. 

Lovelanders are encouraged to see if they qualify for the Affordable Connectivity Program at pulsefiber.org/ACP

Know someone who may qualify but needs assistance or questions answered? Have them call our friendly Loveland-based customer service team at 970-541-4990.

Pulse is on track to complete phase 1 construction by the end of 2023. Check to see if Pulse internet is ready to serve you now at pulsefiber.org/CheckAvailability.

Get started with the ACP:


Pulse Internet Is Obsessed With Outstanding Service and Our Scores Show It

When an organization has no fiduciary responsibility to profit-earning shareholders, and it exists only to serve the community, a key success metric becomes: How do our customers feel about the experience we deliver? 

We are proud to report that Pulse customers are very satisfied. Even more impressive is how our community-owned internet utility stacks up against major internet service players around the nation.  How are we comparing our rankings? 

What is a Net Promoter Score?

The Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a widely used metric that gauges customer satisfaction. The score is based on a simple survey question that asks customers to rate their likelihood to recommend a service to a friend or family member on a scale of 1-10, with 0 being “not at all likely” and 10 being “extremely likely.” To calculate the score, subtract the percentage of detractors from the percentage of promoters. The resulting score can range from -100 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater customer satisfaction.

Pulse scores over 17 times higher on customer satisfaction than the national average

In August 2022, PC Magazine collected data about 16 of the top internet service providers (ISPs) in the country. The average rating among them all was four. Pulse’s customer survey net promoter score is 68.4! Our customers are surveyed after they’ve been online with us for a while and had the full Pulse experience. They are able to provide feedback about the entire process: sign-up, pre-installation, installation, and our rock-solid fiber-optic service. The survey includes many questions, and the aim is always to find out if there’s anything that can be  improved upon. But it’s also where we’ve learned that Lovelanders are jazzed by the entire Pulse experience!

Pulse is on track to complete phase 1 construction (defined as within city limits when construction began in 2019) by the end of 2023. Check to see if we’re ready to serve you now at pulsefiber.org/CheckAvailability, or give our friendly, locally-based customer service team a call at 970-541-4990

About Pulse

Pulse offers multi-gigabit-speed Internet, PulseTV, and Voice services on a fiber-optic fast network. The community-owned fiber utility is built with a promise to connect the entire Loveland community, be transparent with rates and speeds, and provide local service and responsiveness second to none. Please visit pulsefiber.org to learn more.

2023 New Year, New Internet!

Today’s homes and businesses are brimming with connected devices – TVs, watches, phones, washing machines, health-monitoring jewelry, security devices, you name it! With Pulse’s rock-solid fiber-optic network, Lovelanders can confidently stay connected no matter their streaming and internet needs. To think through the speed that makes sense for you, consider the total number of devices and how much bandwidth each one consumes.

Counting Devices

Use the following list to ensure you don’t miss any device.

  • Start with personal devices – laptop, tablet, cell phone, watch, gaming devices, etc.
  • Do the same for every other adult using the connection.
  • Think through all of the smart TVs, including televisions that use a streaming device (e.g., Amazon Fire Stick, AppleTV, etc.)
  • Count children’s laptops, tablets, and cell phones.
  • Finally, count home devices like smart speakers (think Alexa-Echo or Google Home devices), doorbells (ex. Ring), irrigation controllers, security video cameras, appliances (robot vacuum to sous vides), thermostats, and security systems.

Consider The Bandwidth

Bandwidth is the maximum capacity a connection can deliver. Higher bandwidth means more data can be sent to and from more devices. Remember, certain devices use more bandwidth than others. For example, 4K smart TVs use a lot to stream programs – so, if you have multiple smart TVs streaming simultaneously on a small bandwidth connection, you may experience buffering.

Whether using an internet connected mobile phone for a simple web search, or engaging in a more intensive activity like watching YouTube, if your kids are actively using their cell phones, expect they are consuming bandwidth. Laptops and tablets consume bandwidth for gaming or file sharing. Even your Echo smart assistance will take up bandwidth if you’re streaming music while getting dinner prepared.

Adding It All Up and Upgrading Your Connection

Upgrading your internet will improve the performance of all the devices in your home. Increasing connectivity ensures everyone can use their devices at the same time without experiencing slowdowns! Selecting Pulse’s My Gig – a gigabit of symmetrical connectivity per second –  means that nobody needs to take turns on video conferences for work, or who streams which show or movie at a given time, or plays online games against their friends. Give our friendly, locally-based Customer Service team a call 970-541-4990 so we can answer all your questions and help you choose the best internet speed plan to meet your device and bandwidth needs, or visit us online at pulsefiber.org

About Pulse

Pulse offers multi-gigabit-speed Internet, PulseTV, and Voice services on a fiber-optic fast network. The community-owned fiber utility is built with a promise to connect the entire Loveland community, be transparent with rates and speeds, and provide local service and responsiveness second to none. Please visit pulsefiber.org to learn more.

2022 Was A Big Year For Pulse, 2023 Is Shaping Up To Be Even Bigger

As year three of Pulse network construction comes to a close, the team is proud of what has been accomplished since the beginning of 2022 – and excited for what’s to come in 2023! In the spirit of the season, these are a few of our favorite things… 

  • International Customer Experience Award – We are always working on ways to deliver on our promise of a rock-solid utility backed by outstanding customer service. First, we are building a state-of-the-art multi-gigabit network that will be available at every address in the city. Then, we optimized our backend systems to create an incredible customer experience . We are proud to report that Pulse was recognized with the SugarCRM “2022 Customer Experience Innovation Breakthrough Award.” This recognition is for our true end-to-end customer experience implemented across service, tech support, engineering, marketing, and sales. The Breakthrough Awards celebrate businesses across the globe, so it is an honor for Pulse’s bold vision to be recognized.
  • Gold Stars From Our Customers – With over 70 Google customer reviews, we are rated at 4.6 stars. With grades like these, we know our customers are satisfied. See for yourself at pulsefiber.org/CustomerLoveStories
  • Accessible and Affordable – We launched the Pulse Affordable Connectivity Program Supplement in September, offering assistance beyond the standard Federal plan for disadvantaged households. With the Pulse ACP Supplement, qualifying customers are eligible for free or reduced-priced connectivity, depending on their selected package. Since launching this expanded aid, we’ve doubled the number of homes in need being served with these funds. Find out if you’re eligible at pulsefiber.org/ACP
  • Loveland Businesses Love Pulse – Service to Loveland’s businesses – the economic life-blood of our community – is hopping! We recommend businesses interested in switching to Pulse in the near future reach out to us as soon as possible for bookings in the new year. Our dance card is filling up quickly! Fill out this online form, and we’ll get back to you ASAP: pulsefiber.org/Business
  • Out In the Community & Recognized By The Community – Pulse has been out and about (and in some cases, in or online) at over 30 events to connect with our community this year. Sponsoring a blood drive, educating the community at farmer’s markets and on webinars, hanging out at the Corn Roast, and many others. We have also been honored by the community. Pulse was recognized at the LiveLoveland.Org 60 Years of Seeds of Innovation Event with the 2022 Community Champion Award, and with the 2022 Aspiring Innovation Award from the Loveland Chamber of Commerce

With 2023 around the corner, we’re getting excited as Phase 1 of the construction project is entering the home stretch. We are also working on new features, tools, and processes to keep delivering on our promises of incredible service to the community (current Pulse customers, you’ll want to keep a close eye on upcoming announcements!). If you haven’t already, check to see if your address is in a Pulse-ready area now, and keep in touch with us for news, updates, and feature launches at pulsefiber.org/CheckAvailability

 

Pulse offers multi-gigabit-speed Internet, PulseTV, and Voice services on a fiber-optic fast network. The community-owned fiber utility is built with a promise to connect the entire Loveland community, be transparent with rates and speeds, and provide local service and responsiveness second to none. 

Colorado Citizen Action Request: Two minutes for the future of high-speed internet.

LOVELAND, CO– With billions of dollars on the line to develop reliable high-speed internet access in the United States, every Coloradoan is strongly encouraged to Click-Check-Challenge their home and business addresses’ service details on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) connectivity map.

To challenge is simply to request a correction.

The map, located at https://broadbandmap.fcc.gov/home, allows visitors to look up addresses and see if the information provided is accurate. If the information is not correct, visitors can provide accurate information by clicking the Availability Challenge button on the page.

The Process

Step 1: CLICK the FCC map and enter your address.

Step 2: CHECK to see if the internet service options and the stated speeds
listed on the map are actually available at your home and business addresses.

Step 3: CHALLENGE – Correct the map with the information
that’s accurate for your home or business.*

* A note on speed: If a provider has said a speed is available, but you are unable to sign up for that speed with the provider, that would be grounds for a challenge. If you personally choose to subscribe to a lower speed option than what is available to you, that is not grounds for a challenge. 

Detailed instructions on how to submit a challenge, including screenshots showing where on the page to click to update information can be found on this FCC How to Submit a Location Challenge informational page.

“There are discussions with state broadband offices and consumer advocacy groups nationwide that the information listed on the FCC mapping site – especially in rural areas – is not nearly as accurate as it should be to be used to allocate funds,” said Brieana Reed-Harmel, Pulse manager. “Reports are surfacing across the county that the map lists services that are simply not available at individual addresses. These inaccuracies will translate into real money to serve the communities that need it most to be lost.”

She continued, “The most effective thing Coloradoans can do to bring high-quality affordable internet to their neighborhoods in the future is to Click-Check-Challenge their home and business addresses on the FCC map by the deadline – January 13, 2023.” 

Any Colorado, business, school, church, library, or place with internet service can review the map and challenge the information.

The call-to-action to Click-Check-Challenge the map data is urgent.
The FCC has set a deadline of January 13, 2023, to provide correct information for the purposes of
allocating BEAD money to states for future infrastructure development.

Reed-Harmel explained the importance of the FCC having accurate information.

“After the challenge process is completed, the data in the final version of the map will be used to determine how much grant money Colorado will get to improve internet service throughout the state,” she said. “If the final FCC map contains inaccurate data, thousands of Coloradoans – especially those in rural, and outside city-limit areas –  are likely to be left out. The more we can help citizens correct the data, the more Coloradoans will be guaranteed a future of quality connectivity.”

In addition to the public outreach process, Native American tribes, and other internet-related citizen action groups are scouring the map data and will challenge any erroneous entries they find.

This action must be taken by citizens by January 13, 2023 to be considered.

Pulse Honored With Two Awards For Innovation

LOVELAND, Colorado – November 17, 2022 – Pulse has been named SugarCRM’s 2022 Customer Breakthrough Award winner for CX Innovation and the Loveland Chamber of Commerce’s 2022 Innovation Award winner. These awards place Pulse in both the global and local arenas, spotlighting the team for its innovative spirit and excellence in serving the Loveland community with multi-gig fiber internet.

SugarCRM is the developer of the award-winning AI-driven CRM platform that Pulse uses to deliver an end-to-end customer experience implemented across its service, tech support, engineering, marketing, and sales teams. “We congratulate each of our Breakthrough Award winners for their innovation and excellence, and distinguished application of Sugar to let the platform do the work to drive exceptional customer experiences,” said Jason Rushforth, SugarCRM’s Senior Vice President and General Manager, Americas. “These customers and partners have realized the significant value of using technology to excel in sales, marketing, and service that fuels business growth.”

The Loveland Chamber of Commerce recognized local organizations at its 2022 Annual Dinner and Awards Ceremony on October 28, 2022 and chose Pulse as the Innovation Award winner because of its pioneering spirit in helping build a strong and vibrant community.

“Being recognized with these awards is a testament to the quality of work and vision of the entire Pulse team. Four years ago (on November 6, 2018), Loveland City Council gave us the green light to start a fiber-optic utility. While there are similar projects to benchmark against, we’re truly aiming to surpass all expectations and break the mold for excellence in all areas – from network performance to customer service and beyond.”

— Lindsey Johansen, Communications and Marketing Manager

About Pulse

Pulse offers multi-gigabit-speed Internet, PulseTV, and Voice services on a fiber-optic fast network. The community-owned fiber utility is built with a promise to connect the entire Loveland community, be transparent with rates and speeds, and provide local service and responsiveness second to none. Please visit pulsefiber.org to learn more.