Pulse achieves gigabit speeds in early testing environments

As we enter the month of May, we continue to make steady progress on our promise to provide reliable, high-speed internet service to all Loveland residents and businesses. It has been an exciting few months.

Recently, Pulse has been conducting Alpha testing at several locations within the network. What does Alpha testing mean? Well, this lets us test the network, including all active components of our inside operations, as well as passive technology and equipment in the field. We are excited to announce that we have successfully connected the very first part of the network, achieving gigabit speeds.

The next key steps are finalizing utility operations and Beta-testing.

Utility operations include establishing a local call center and other resources, as well as billing and asset management systems. You may have read the news that City Council approved an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) that will allow us to pool technical and network support resources with Fort Collins Connexion and Estes Park's Trailblazer Broadband. This IGA is part of the regional collaboration piece of our model that allows us to share resources and keep costs down.

Beta-testing is a final test of the network in a real-life environment to ensure Pulse is scalable, operating efficiently, and ready for rollout. This step is similar to our Alpha testing, except we use real potential customers and run through the entire process of what customers will experience. The goal is to confirm network speed, reliability, and more, as well as ensure that our customer billing and support processes are functioning as intended.

“We have seen significant progress over the past four months,” Pulse engineering manager Ryan Smith said. “Our team's focus on strategic planning, network design, and overall commitment from the beginning has set us up to do what we are here to do - deliver Loveland a reliable, fast internet connection through fiber.”

Construction began in November 2019 and will take three to four years to complete. We will announce service offering details soon. Stay tuned to our communication channels for additional project updates and feel free to ask us questions on the website, our social media channels, emailing Pulse@cityofloveland.org, or calling 970-962-2010.