PODCAST: Fort Collins Connexion Josh Hales on making fiber services relevant and competitive

Fort Collins Connexion, a municipal broadband utility that was created by and for the community, has as its sole purpose to improve life and business in Fort Collins, Colorado through what it says is better, more affordable internet. Connexion offers affordably priced symmetrical multi-gig service with no long-term contracts. In addition to residential broadband, Connexion offers competitive phone and TV services. Also, Connexion has become a key source of broadband and enhanced services for local businesses.

Joining other Colorado communities like Longmont, Montrose, Boulder and Yuma County, Connexion’s emergence is the result of a Colorado State effort to enable local governments to become broadband providers. Signed into law in 2023, Colorado’s Senate Bill 23-183 repealed the restrictive Senate Bill 05-152. Previously, the 2005 law prohibited most local governments from entering the broadband market or using municipal funds for infrastructure without a local voter referendum. SB 23-183 explicitly eliminates this requirement, allowing cities, towns, and counties to deploy advanced communication services directly.

Helping to drive awareness and drive growth at Fort Collins Connexion is Josh Hales, Senior Manager of Broadband Sales. When the Broadband Pulse caught up with Hales, who has been with Connexion for four years, he said the effect of its role as a fiber broadband provider is clear: incumbent cable and telcos are now responding with new broadband options.

Here's a timeline of our discussion: 

Opening/introduction | 0:03

Fort Collins’ Connexion fiber focus | 0:24
Hales talks about how Connexion’s fiber network enables it to move quickly on many of the things residents were asking for that weren’t possible on the legacy copper network.

Broadband evolution | 2:52
Connexion’s gigabit-speed evolution is predicated on staying ahead of the competition and on using it for other applications, such as providing connectivity for a community center in Fort Collins.

Incumbent provider’s response | 4:43
Traditional providers like AT&T and others are responding with their own fiber-based broadband offerings.

Gigabit speed subscriber adoption | 7:06
By preparing its network to handle multi-gigabit speeds, Connexion noted that 33% of its newest customers are opting for them.

Voice and video services | 9:29
While Connexion continues to maintain voice and video services because they ease the complexity of switching, it continues to evaluate adoption rates.

Community services | 11:48
Connexion is leveraging its fiber network to provide services such as Wi-Fi in city parks and, potentially, smart traffic applications.

PON technology evolution | 14:09
Connexion is leveraging 25G PON to support its downtown community center Wi-Fi deployment and local businesses that require higher bandwidth.

Business services growth | 16:00
Given the competitive environment for business services, Connexion is focused not just on selling higher speeds but on reliable connectivity.

Greenfield housing developments | 20:09
By working with developers during the construction phase, Connexion is helping ensure that every new single-family home or multi-dwelling unit (MDU) is built to be sold in a fiber-ready state.

Final thoughts | 21:55
The Broadband Pulse gets Josh Hales' final thoughts about his work at Connexion.