The home Internet service with the fastest speeds in Colorado isn’t coming from Comcast or Quantum Fiber.
It’s coming from the city-owned fiber network in Loveland.
On International Internet Day (October 29), Pulse Fiber announced the launch of its new 20 gig residential Internet service — the first provider in the Centennial State to offer symmetrical 20 gigabits-per-second home connectivity.
Branded as Vector Fiber, the new ultra fast tier introduces a connection capacity that is a rarity for residential offerings — something Pulse officials say is “designed for a niche but growing segment” in the Front Range city of about 80,000.
“Vector Fiber is ideal for residents who push the limits of what a home connection can do,” said Brieana Reed‑Harmel, Loveland’s broadband division manager. “Whether they’re running a business out of their home, managing massive datasets, or developing the next breakthrough technology, 20 Gigs ensures they never hit a ceiling.”
The new service offers features typically reserved for commercial-grade connectivity. In addition to 20 Gig symmetrical speeds, it comes with a professional SFP handoff — a small pluggable fiber port for the home router that lets subscribers use all 20 Gigs without a data bottleneck. The service also provides a static IP address — a permanent Internet address that allows end-users to host websites, servers, automation hubs and to remotely access files, cameras, and home systems.
“The result is a high‑performance platform built for residents whose technical requirements exceed what standard home [I]nternet services can deliver,” officials said of the new service. “Comparatively, the majority of [I]nternet providers nationwide do not offer plans in excess of 10 Gigs.”
Who Needs 20 Gigs?
The Vector Fiber offering will cost $349 a month. And, as enticing as the service tier Pulse hopes it may be for residents with big data needs, Reed‑Harmel tells ILSR “we don’t expect the 20 Gig tier to change what the average resident selects, but we do expect that some customers at the current 4 Gig and 10 Gig tiers may move up to the 20 Gig tier for their additional features and value.”
Most Pulse subscribers are currently subscribed to its 1 gig plan. Still, the aim with Vector Fiber, she said, is to target “power users, home‑based businesses, homelab operators, digital creators, and early adopters managing data‑intensive workloads such as large‑scale content production, scientific computing, software development, and enterprise‑level remote operations.”
It’s too early to count Vector Fiber subscribers yet. But, Reed-Harmel said, before the launch Pulse had “several conversations with community partners who are homelab enthusiasts interested in the service now that it is available.”
Staying Ahead of the Pack
The new offering, Reed-Harmel said, is largely being driven by an increasingly competitive regional market, describing the launch as an “important strategic investment as broadband competition intensifies statewide.”
The most direct local competition for Pulse right now is Comcast (Xfinity) and Quantum Fiber, a relatively new fiber competitor in the market, which has begun to overbuild in Pulse’s service area over the past two years.
“Since Pulse's inception, we've witnessed a dozen new fiber providers enter Colorado at various capacities — some of which have already seen bankruptcy and mergers and acquisitions,” she said.
“As I am sure is true nationally, we do feel the increased marketing from fixed wireless competitors like T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon and even satellite competitors like Starlink via their aggressive national advertising,” she added, even though FWA and satellite are not “apples-to-apples in comparison of service quality to our fiber network.”
And while the new tier offering “represents both a technological achievement and a reaffirmation of the purpose behind community‑driven, municipal fiber networks,” Reed-Harmel was keen to note that Pulse will remain primarily focused on serving its existing subscriber base with high quality, affordable service.
Currently, most Pulse subscribers in both Loveland and in the neighboring town of Timnath where Pulse also offers service, have gig speed connections for $75/month — though the city-owned service also offers an entry level tier of 500 Megabits-per-second for just $50 a month.
The bottom line for Reed-Harmel: the launch of Vector Fiber is evidence of what community ownership makes possible.
“By setting a new statewide benchmark, we’re showing what a municipally-owned network is capable of,” she said.
“Pulse was created to deliver long-term value, resilience, and future‑proofing to the residents of our communities. Introducing 20 Gigs demonstrates that we are prepared to support the innovations — and innovators — that lie ahead.”
Header and inline images courtesy of Pulse Fiber
