Connection Equity

This page is intended to:

• Explain the Connection Equity (CE) program status and current traffic metrics based on the customer viewing it
• Display the current Connection Equity (CE) modules activated.
  • The CE system is intended to limit an individual’s negative impact on others, not all modules are active at any given time but can be activated as needed.
  • We can/will make specialty CE rules which are more generous than the official rules to manage the network as necessary.
• Display current and historic status so users can determine if they are impacted by the program.

Currently Active Modules:

Module	Definition	Action	Active/Inactive
Daily High Bandwidth	A user who has transferred more than 70 GB as of 7 pm in the current day	Limited speed from 7 pm-11 pm	Not Active
Rolling 30 – High Usage	A user who transferred more than 1,200 GB in a rolling 30-day period	Limited speed from 7 pm-11 pm	Not Active
Rolling 30 – Heavy Usage	A user who transferred more than 1,750 GB in a rolling 30-day period	Limited speed until usage < 1,750 GB	Not Active
Specialty – Excessive Usage	A user who transferred more than 2,000 GB in a rolling 30-day period	Limited speed from 7 pm-11 pm	Active
SuperMax – Excessive Usage	A user who transferred more than 3,500 GB in a rolling 30-day period	Limited speed from 7 pm-11 pm	Active

This page is intended to:

Q: How did this happen? I don’t use much data.
A: As of January 2024 the average household uses approximately 500-600 GB monthly. If you have exceeded 2,000 GB, that level of usage falls into the ‘excessive’ category.

Q: Will this add to my bill? Can I pay for more data?
A: We do not apply a charge for exceeding these limits, however, the program is built to limit the impact of excessive users on the other 99.9% of the network. Due to this, we also do not allow people to pay to be removed from the program. The exception is business plans which are exempt from the data limits.  

Q: How do I get out of the program?
A: The simplest way is to reduce data consumption. The above charts indicate your standing in rolling 30-day view. Reducing traffic for a single day is often enough to exit the program.  

Q: I work from home, is this because of video calls?
A: No, video calls do not require a significant amount of data. You could be on 3 video calls at a time for 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, and not be impacted by the CE program. While they do add data, it is at a drastically lower rate than other activities.  

Q: I stream music, could that be causing this?
A: The short answer is no. A music stream uses about 0.3 GB an hour. It does add to total data consumption but is not an activity with enough data by itself to be an issue.  

Q: Why am I being limited when the tasks I need to complete are important?
A: Each customer has tasks they feel are crucial to perform. The Connection Equity program is a safeguard against the possibility of one persons usage impacting other users on the network.

Q: My animals need background noise while I am gone, can I leave my TV streaming all day?
A: Streaming content from your TV 24/7 will regularly put you into the excessive tier. We recommend downloading content that can be replayed offline.

Q: How much data do different items use?
A: If you are hitting the CE program, it is nearly guaranteed to be because of streaming media and/or game downloads. Typically both.
CNET has provided a chart of common activities and data for each – Click Here for the Link  

Q: I’ve never hit this before with another provider, why now?
A: Swapping from cable/satellite TV to streaming platforms is a large contributor. New gaming systems have more intensive game downloads, and media is coming in higher resolution every year. The TellerWifi thresholds are much higher than other providers. CNET has provided a chart of common data thresholds by ISP – Click Here for the Link  

The CE program was created to ensure connection equity between customers so that when a person wants to perform an action online, the system has the capability for them to do so. If these standards on residential plans are not a good fit for your usage, please contact our team to discuss your other options.