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Hughesnet Fair Access Policy |
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Fair Access Policy |
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The Fair Access Policy is implemented automatically by monitoring your usage over a rolling 24-hour period. Each HughesNet service plan is assigned a Download Allowance. The Download Allowance is the amount of data (in bytes) which can be downloaded by a subscriber without restriction within a rolling 24-hour period. As you download at a high rate, your allowance will be depleted. During periods of low use, your remaining Allowance will slowly recover. When your satellite Internet usage over the past 24 hours exceeds that allowance, you will enter the Recovery Zone, and your download speeds will be reduced. During the Recovery Zone, your Download Allowance is slowly replenished, and after approximately 24 hours, your download speed will be restored. If you continue to use your service to download in the Recovery Zone, it may take more than 24 hours for your Allowance to be replenished and your speed to return to normal. Who is affected by the Fair Access Policy?Some satellite Internet users consume much more bandwidth than the average user, and they will experience reduced download speeds as a result of exceeding their Download Allowance. You may be surprised to find that the top 1% of users download 9 times more than the average user. By providing a Download Allowance, more of the shared bandwidth is made available for everyone to use. Most users will have a better experience as a result of the Fair Access Policy. What happens if I don't use all of my daily Download Allowance?Great News! Due to some recent improvements in the HughesNet technology, you can now "bank" unused portions of your daily Download Allowance in the Download Bank. This banking of unused data has the effect of increasing the Download Allowance by the amount of the unused data from the prior 24-hour period. If you subscribe to the Basic plan, which has a daily Download Allowance of 250 MB, and you've only used 100 MB of data during the previous 24-hour period, your Download Allowance for the next 24-hour period will be 250 MB, plus the unused 150 MB from the previous 24 hours, for a total of 400 MB. The Download Bank will allow you the flexibility to download larger files when you really need to, without disrupting your service. Does the Download Bank apply to all HughesNet Plans?The Download Bank applies to most HughesNet Plans including the following "legacy" plans: Home, Pro, ProPlus, Elite, ElitePlus, ElitePremium, and BI100 and BI700. Does unused data in the Download Bank expire?Today, the Download Allowance is based on a rolling 24-hour period. Subject to the Download Bank caps as listed below, unused data will not expire and will carry over into the Download Bank. The Download Bank can accumulate up to a two-day supply of your service plan's Download Allowance.
How can I manage how my download usage?HughesNet offers a free Status Meter. This can be downloaded at HughesNet Tools. The Status Meter is a small application that resides in your system tray (Windows) or Dock (Mac OSX) and monitors your Download Allowance. If you exceed your Allowance, the Status Meter will alert you right away and provide one-click access to the HughesNet Restore Tokens site, with options to reset your daily Allowance and get back up to speed instantly. You will be able to see your remaining Allowance in real-time, so you'll know how much data you have left. What is the Restore Token?Sometimes you might want to reset your allowance without waiting for the Recovery Zone to end. For these occasions, we provide easy access to Restore Tokens – a service that instantly resets your Download Allowance and lifts the speed restriction. Each HughesNet subscriber receives one complimentary Restore Token each month on his or her billing date. You can use this free Token any time you exceed your Download Allowance. You can also purchase additional Tokens throughout the month, priced based on your satellite Internet plan's Download Allowance. Online activities such as viewing Websites, checking email, watching video clips or similar short streaming media, and automatic software updates are unlikely to cause you to exceed the Download Allowance. Typically, on the Basic plan, to reach your Download Allowance in a 24-hour period, you would have to download any of the following:
What is the Token Bank?The Token Bank is a new feature that allows you to "bank" your unused FREE Restore Token and carry it over to the following month – for a total of up to three free tokens in three months. The Token Bank gives you more freedom to control your Internet experience and download large files when you need to. Does the Token Bank apply to all HughesNet Plans?The Token Bank applies to all HughesNet plans that currently receive the FREE monthly Restore Token. With the Token Bank, can I still get more Restore Tokens if I need them?Yes. If you need to, you can always purchase additional Restore Tokens to instantly reset your service to full speed. Can I "bank" purchased Restore Tokens in the Token Bank?No. The Token Bank allows you to carry over the unused complimentary Restore Token you receive each month, for up to three months. If you purchase a bundle of additional Restore Tokens, you can still use your purchased tokens whenever you wish – but they are not part of the Token Bank. Does the Fair Access Policy apply to uploads or downloads?Currently, the Fair Access Policy applies only to downloads – that is, data that you receive from the Internet. Uploads, for example sending photos in your email, are not counted against your Download Allowance. What activities may cause a subscriber to exceed their Download Allowance?Some activities are more likely to exceed the Download Allowance and trigger the application of the Fair Access Policy. Several examples are listed below:
Excessive downloading or use of the services described above may cause satellite Internet subscribers to exceed their Download Allowance and have their download speed reduced under the Fair Access Policy. Note that all data downloaded to your PC or PCs will count against your Download Allowance. We encourage you to take a close look at the software you install and understand how it will use your Internet connection. What will my Internet access be like in the Recovery Zone?During the Recovery Zone, when your Download Allowance is exceeded, you will experience reduced download speeds for about 24 hours. During this period, your HughesNet satellite Internet service can still be used for activities such as Web browsing and viewing emails, but speeds will be significantly slower than your standard plan rate. If I exceed my Download Allowance, what should I do?Minimize your heavy bandwidth activities. If you continue to download heavily during the Recovery Zone, the period will be extended. If you frequently exceed your Download Allowance, or if you find that your Download Allowance is too small for your needs, you might consider upgrading your service plan. Or, to get the most out of your satellite Internet service, you can schedule large downloads to occur during the Download Zone using a Download Manager. How do I verify whether I have exceeded my Download Allowance?You can track your past usage and Fair Access Policy status by going to www.myHughesNet.com, clicking on Customer Care, then clicking on the Check My Usage link in the Resources section. What is the Download Zone?The Download Zone is the off-peak hours of the day, when you can download data at full speed without counting against your Download Allowance. The hours of use start at 2:00 am and end at 7:00 am, Eastern Time. Why was the Download Zone implemented?This period has been provided for HughesNet subscribers to schedule the downloading of automated updates or to download other large files. Are there any limitations to what I can do during the Download Zone?Yes. Download speeds are not guaranteed during these hours and the HughesNet Acceptable Use Policy is still in effect. Does data transmitted during the Download Zone count in determining whether I will have any data left for the Download Bank?No. Any data transmitted during the Download Zone using the Download Manager does not count against your daily Download Allowance, so it will not affect how much data you have left for the Download Bank for the next 24-hour period. What do you recommend I do during the Download Zone?We recommend that you automatically schedule your system updates during the Download Zone. If you install HughesNet Tools, your Windows Updates will automatically be scheduled for this period. You can also use a download manager software application to automatically schedule large file downloads to occur during the Download Zone. If I have exceeded my Download Allowance, will using my service during the Download Zone extend the duration of my reduced download speed?No, downloading during the Download Zone will not extend the Recovery Zone. What will happen if I'm in the middle of a large download at the onset of the Download Zone?If your speed is reduced at the start of the Download Zone, your download speed will return to your normal plan rate, and the downloaded data will not increase your recovery time. If your speed was not reduced (that is, you had not exceeded your Download Allowance), your usage during the Download Zone will not be counted toward your Download Allowance. What will happen if I'm in the middle of a download at the end of the Download Zone?If you were over your Download Allowance at the start of the Download Zone, your download speeds will be reduced again at the end of the Zone. If you were not over your Download Allowance, then the usage during the Download Zone will not count against your allowance, but the portion of the download that occurs after the Zone ends will begin to count against your Allowance. Can I still use the Download Zone if I have already exceeded my Download Allowance?Yes – during the Download Zone, all HughesNet satellite Internet users may download without any speed restrictions, subject to your plan's rate and available capacity.
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