Loveland’s broadband utility to be called Pulse

LOVELAND — By the first quarter of 2020, the first customer of Loveland’s new broadband utility will feel the pulse of high speed internet.

And Pulse was the word Thursday night as the city unveiled the name of its new community-owned utility and outlined in general terms what comes next.

With past and present council members, school district officials, city staff, business leaders and broadband partners from neighboring cities in attendance, the city unveiled its new logo, played a promotional video and celebrated the ceremonial start to the community’s entry into the world of high-speed internet communication.

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Actually, the effort to find a broadband solution for the community began in 2013 when council members sought a way to improve internet connectivity in community schools. Two years later, 2015, city residents voted to untie the community from state law restrictions on city-owned communications utilities. In November 2018, the council voted to move forward with a city-run, public-owned communications utility that will be housed within the Loveland Water and Power utility.

Loveland decided to bond for the cost of building out the utility, and in recent weeks $97 million in bond proceeds were banked for use in building the infrastructure.

Brieana Reed-Harmel, the municipal fiber manager for the city, said construction will begin in September and be “one of the biggest projects ever in the city.” Crews will extend fiber optic lines so that every home and every business can access the network if they choose. She said they hope to connect the first customer to the network in the first quarter of 2020. Internet and telephone connectivity are among the services that will be offered. Full network build-out is estimated to take approximately three to four years.

Calling it “the biggest decision the council has ever made,” councilman John Fogle said that “we’ll all benefit, but the kids of Loveland will benefit the most.”

Joe Bernosky, director of Loveland Water and Power, said the city has been in the utility business since before the turn of the last century — late 1800s when a water utility was created. That was followed by an electric utility in 1925. “We expect the same level of service and reliability to extend to broadband,” he said.

“The hallmark of Loveland is its innovation and creativity,” Mayor Jacki Marsh said. “We want to be leading.”

“Pulse builds on the facets of our community that make Loveland great and powerfully connects us all to the many incredible resources both in our city and throughout our world,” said City Manager Steve Adams.

“Pulse has everything you expect from the city-provided services you currently use — reliability, fair rates and excellent, locally-based customer service,” said Reed-Harmel. “Like all city services, Pulse is an investment in our community and our future.”