Meet Pulse: How Loveland, Colorado Put Community at the Heart of One of the Nation’s Top Broadband Networks

When Loveland, Colorado decided to explore community-owned broadband, it wasn’t starting from scratch. Just north of Longmont, a neighboring community whose successful municipal broadband model was already drawing attention, Loveland was grappling with a growing number of complaints from residents and businesses about unreliable, overpriced service and misleading claims from incumbent providers.

“Being adjacent to Longmont, we were watching their progress and started to ask, ‘Is this right for us too?’” said Brieana Reed-Harmel, Pulse’s Broadband Manager.

At the time, Colorado state law required each community to hold a vote before approving community broadband infrastructure. In a powerful mandate, Loveland residents overwhelmingly supported the measure, with 83% voting in favor of building out the network.

Following a feasibility study and multiple rounds of community engagement, it became clear that Loveland’s best path forward was a full retail model with regional partnerships.

The city funded Pulse with a $95 million revenue bond. Although COVID delayed in-person celebrations for the 2020 launch, the pandemic underscored for many just how vital high-quality broadband had become. Pulse partnered with schools and libraries to offer pop-up connectivity and support for families during remote learning.

Pulse’s community-first model is paying off. With a take rate of 42%, Loveland now offers Gigabit service at $74.99/month and up to 10Gb residential service, with customers routinely citing Pulse as a reason for relocating. Additionally, PCMag recently ranked Pulse the “Best Overall ISP” in the country.

“We’ve got YouTubers and creatives moving here for the service,” said Reed-Harmel. “We’re even expanding outside city limits into unincorporated county areas where residents have asked us to come.”

The competition has taken notice. Incumbents have lowered their prices and begun upgrading infrastructure, exactly the kind of market shift community broadband aims to drive. “Before Pulse, many neighborhoods had only one real choice. Now our customers have options.”

Looking ahead, as Loveland continues to grow rapidly along Colorado’s northern Front Range, Pulse is focused on keeping pace with development and staying responsive to customer needs. That includes expanding partnerships with local business incubators and maintaining top-notch customer experience.

“When our customers call, they’re talking to someone local who takes the time to help,” Reed-Harmel said.

“It’s a different kind of utility,” Reed-Harmel explained. “Cities are used to monopolies in services like water or power, but broadband is competitive. You have to embrace marketing, responsiveness, and a customer-first mindset from day one.”

In Reed-Harmel’s eyes, the existence of organizations like AAPB are crucial to the growing momentum around community broadband. “There aren’t a lot of organizations out there that speak to our needs, but AAPB does” she said. “We participate in other professional organizations but having a dedicated organization that advocates for what we do is vital.”

If Pulse’s success story teaches anything, it’s the power of leaning heavily on other communities across the country that have gone before. “This is a welcoming, friendly community, so I would encourage other cities considering this path to reach out, ask questions, and become engaged,” Reed-Harmel said. “We’re here to help each other and lift each other up. The more successful we are, the better off we all are.”