Pulse sets its rate structure for broadband services

LOVELAND — With great fanfare, the new broadband utility in Loveland, called Pulse, announced that it is beginning customer acquisition operations and has set rates similar in structure to other communities in the region that have broadband operations.

Pulse services, which will be built out over multiple years as the city-run utility buries or hangs its fiber-optic lines throughout the city, currently include internet and telephone. Television services are not yet available and have not been priced for sale.

Pulse rates are similar to those available from the Connexion utility in Fort Collins but more than those offered by NextLight in Longmont — the first city-run broadband utility along the Front Range.

Monthly Pulse rates are:

Starter package (30 mbps) — $44.95

My Gig package (1 gbps) — $74.95

Premier package (10 gbps) — $299.95

Telephone —- Add $24.95

Installation charges are waived at this point but would otherwise cost a consumer $49.95 if their home is already wired, or $99.95 if wiring the home is required. Modem/router functionality is included in the monthly prices.

Connexion in Fort Collins charges $59.95 for 1 gbps service plus $9.95 for WiFi, making the monthly rate similar to Pulse. Connexion has two levels of phone service, a basic package for $19.95 per month and an unlimited service for $29.95. Connexion also has a television bundle available for $119.90 per month that includes the internet plus a basic television programming package.

NextLight, which had “charter member” rates of $49.95 per month when it began its service, lists its 1 gbps rate as $69.95 plus $25 for phone service. Its 10 gbps plan sells for $94.95, about half of what Pulse charges.

Estes Park has launched its Trailblazer broadband service and has its Mountaineer package — 1 gbps — listed for an introductory rate of $69.95 per month ($89.95 per month regularly) plus $6.95 for WiFi.

Mayor Jackie Marsh said Loveland set a high bar for its new utility. “We said every home and every business would have an opportunity to connect. We tried to partner with other providers but they wouldn’t commit to every home and business,” she said.

Loveland residents will know that their homes or businesses are ready for connection when a door hanger is left on the front door. The utility does not plan to announce its geographic build-out plan for competitive reasons.

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