Tag Archive for: Pulse Fiber

How Pulse Keeps Your Data Safe – And Why Fiber Internet Is the Secure Choice

At Pulse Fiber Internet, one of the most common questions we hear from our community is: “What are you doing to protect my information?” It’s a great question and one we take very seriously.

When you connect to the internet, you’re not just streaming movies, scrolling social media, or working from home; you’re sharing important pieces of your life. From login credentials to personal data and even business transactions, you deserve to know that your internet provider is doing everything possible to keep your information safe.

That’s why we want to share a behind-the-scenes look at the steps we take to safeguard our customers’ privacy and explain why fiber internet, the technology at the core of Pulse’s network, is inherently safer than other options.

Protecting Your Privacy: Our Commitment

In our previous blog post, At Pulse Fiber Internet, Your Privacy Matters, we shared the principles that guide how we protect your information. To quickly recap, Pulse:

  • Does not sell your data. Unlike some large telecom companies, we don’t see your information as a product to monetize. Your browsing history and personal information remain yours.
  • Encrypts sensitive data. Whether in transit across our network or stored on our systems, we use industry-standard encryption to keep your data safe from prying eyes.
  • Follows best practices for password protection. Customer account passwords are stored using one-way hashing with unique salts — a method that ensures they cannot be reverse-engineered if ever exposed.
  • Encrypts personally identifiable information (PII). Any sensitive information like your name, address, or account details is encrypted both while it’s being transferred and while it’s stored in our systems.

These safeguards aren’t just checkboxes for us. They are part of our mission as a community-owned internet provider: to treat our customers with respect and to protect their privacy at every step.

Behind the Technology: How We Keep Network Traffic Secure

Beyond protecting your personal data, Pulse also takes steps to ensure your internet traffic itself remains private and separated from other customers’. Here’s how we do it:

  • Unique, Isolated Circuits: Every Pulse customer is provisioned with their own isolated circuit using advanced technologies like XGS-PON, MPLS pseudowires, and Q-in-Q VLAN separation. These are industry-standard methods that guarantee your internet traffic is kept separate end-to-end.
  • Access Layer Protection: At the entry point of our network, XGS-PON technology enforces traffic separation at the protocol level. On top of that, AES encryption protects each subscriber’s traffic between their Optical Network Terminal (ONT) in the home and our Optical Line Terminal (OLT) in the field.
  • Core Network Safeguards: Inside our network, we layer on additional protections to maintain strict separation of customer traffic from end-to-end, not just at the core. Technologies like MPLS pseudowires, which act as secure, virtual point-to-point links and Q-in-Q VLAN encapsulation create private pathways for each customer. This means your data always stays in its own protected lane, fully isolated from others as it travels across the entire Pulse network.

In simple terms? Your internet traffic is kept in its own protected “lane” from your home all the way through the Pulse network.

Why Fiber Internet Is Safer Than Other Options

Security isn’t just about policies and processes;  it’s also built into the technology. One of the often-overlooked advantages of fiber internet is that it is fundamentally harder to intercept than older technologies like copper or wireless.

Here’s why:

  • No Signal Radiation: Traditional technologies like coaxial cables or wireless signals can unintentionally radiate data, creating the possibility of interception. Fiber optics, on the other hand, transmit data using light inside glass strands. These signals do not radiate, making them much harder to tap into.
  • Resistant to Eavesdropping: While specialized tools called optical taps do exist, the signals they capture are unreadable when combined with the per-customer encryption Pulse applies at multiple points across the network.
  • Tamper-Resistant Design: Fiber cables are built to detect disruptions. If someone tries to physically access the fiber line, the attempt is often noticeable and can cause service interruptions — meaning any malicious activity is far more likely to be detected.

The result is a network that’s inherently more secure at the physical level, with encryption layered on top for added protection.

What This Means for You

As a Pulse customer, here’s what you can feel confident about:

  1. Your privacy is respected. We do not and will not sell your personal data.
  2. Your data is protected. From encryption to hashing, we use best-in-class practices to keep your information safe.
  3. Your traffic is isolated. Each customer has a private, protected circuit. No shared lanes.
  4. Your connection is safer with fiber. Unlike copper or wireless, fiber technology provides an inherent security advantage.

Our Promise

Pulse was built for Northern Colorado. That means our commitment is to our community, our neighbors, our friends. Internet service shouldn’t come with hidden trade-offs like compromised privacy or insecure connections.

We believe you deserve both world-class speed and world-class security, and we’ve built our network with that promise in mind.

So, when you’re streaming a movie, paying a bill, video conferencing for work, or simply browsing the web, you can do so with confidence knowing that Pulse is working behind the scenes to keep your data safe.

Have more questions about our privacy practices or fiber internet security?

We’d love to hear them! Reach out to our team anytime because when it comes to your internet connection, peace of mind matters just as much as speed.

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.