Network Management

Plateau's Network Management Practices

Plateau uses various tools and industry standard techniques to manage its network and deliver fast, secure and reliable Internet service. Such management tools and practices include the following:

1. Managing Congestion

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   Plateau provides high speed Internet access using a number of different technology platforms, including fiber, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), fixed wireless and mobile wireless technology. These different platforms have different capacities and characteristics, and may be managed in different ways. In general, Plateau periodically monitors the connections on its network in the aggregate to determine the rate of utilization. Network monitoring tools notify the Network Operations Center if congestion or near-congestion occurs. In general congestion on Plateau’s fiber and DSL networks is unlikely because Plateau configures twice the network capacity (100% duplication) that it actually needs through diverse routers. If congestion emerges on the network, however, Plateau will take appropriate measures to relieve congestion such as by augmenting available bandwidth or adding transport capacity back to the core routers. Due to inherent capacity limitations of wireless systems, congestion may occur on Plateau’s wireless systems. Wireless spectrum is a limited resource, which all users must share. Accordingly, Plateau manages all wireless network traffic to provide an acceptable experience to all customers. Internet traffic on the wireless network is managed as follows:

   Users are provided data allotments based on the plan they choose. Up to the limits of this allotment, users are allowed speeds up to the maximum specified for their plan and within the current resource demands of the wireless network. Beyond this allotment, users are rate limited to a slower speed dependent on the plan of their choosing.

   During periods of network congestion on Plateau’s mobile broadband Internet network, the network may temporarily limit speeds or the amount of data that users can transfer based on industry standard protocols, such as proportional fairness schedulers, inherent in the air interface between the customer device and the network. This management is designed to ensure that no one user is denied access to the network.

   On all of Plateau’s networks, all customers have access to all legal services, applications and content online and, in the event of congestion, most Internet activities will be unaffected. Some customers, however, may experience longer download or upload times, or slower surf speeds on the web if instances of congestion do occur on Plateau’s network.

   Customers using conduct that abuses or threatens the Plateau network or which violates the company’s Acceptable Use Policy, Internet Service Terms and Conditions, or the Internet Service Agreement will be asked to stop any such use immediately. A failure to respond or to cease any such conduct could result in service suspension or termination.

   Plateau’s network and congestion management practices on Plateau’s fiber and DSL networks are ”application-agnostic”, based on current network conditions, and are not implemented on the basis of customers’ online activities, protocols or applications. Plateau’s network management practices do not relate to any particular customer’s aggregate monthly data usage.

2. Network Security

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   Plateau knows the importance of securing its network and customers from network threats and annoyances. The company promotes the security of its network and patrons by providing resources to its customers for identifying and reporting such threats as spam, viruses, firewall issues, and phishing schemes. Plateau also deploys spam filters in order to divert spam from an online customer’s E-mail inbox into a quarantine file while allowing the customer to control which E-mails are identified as spam. Customers may access the spam files through the E-mail. Spam files are automatically deleted if not accessed within 30 days.

   As its normal practice, Plateau does not block any protocols, content or traffic for purposes of network management except that the company may block or limit such traffic as spam, viruses, malware, or denial of service attacks to protect network integrity and the security of our customers. Plateau also has a port filtering policy aimed at reducing the spread of computer-related viruses and protecting your computer from intruder access.

3. Devic Attachment Rules/Application Specific Behaviors

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   Except as may be provided elsewhere herein, Plateau does not currently engage in any application-specific behaviors, nor does it employ device attachment rules for its network. Customers may use any lawful applications or devices with Plateau that are compatible with Plateau’s networks.

4. Monitoring Schedule

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   Plateau checks its usage logs on a weekly basis to determine utilization on its network. When utilization reaches 80%, Plateau adds capacity or reroutes traffic on its fiber and DSL networks to relieve congestion. Plateau also checks for abnormal traffic flows, network security breaches, malware, loss, and damage to the network. If a breach is detected or high volume users are brought to light by complaint, Plateau provides notification to the customer via E-mail or phone. If a violation of Plateau’s policies has occurred and such violation is not remedied, Plateau will seek to suspend or terminate that customer’s service.

5. Network Management Technology

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   Plateau employs a variety of industry-standard tools, applications and devices to monitor, secure and maintain its network, including the following:

   • Deep packet inspection technology
   • IT infrastructure management/monitoring tools

6. Service Descriptions

   (Table of Contents) Plateau offers broadband over DSL and fiber technologies. Click here for Plateau's services, offerings, and rates.

7. Network Performance

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   Plateau makes every effort to support advertised speeds and will dispatch repair technicians to customer sites to perform speed tests as needed to troubleshoot and resolve speed and application performance caused by Plateau’s network. Plateau measures availability, latency, and aggregate utilization on the network and strives to meet internal service level targets. However, customer’s service performance may also be affected by one or more of the following:

   1. The particular websites being accessed
   2. Capacity in the public Internet beyond Plateau’s network
   3. Customer’s computer and equipment (including wireless router)
   4. Inside wiring at customer’s premise
   5. Other users’ use of Plateau’s wireless networks

8. Specialized Services

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   Plateau does not provide any specialized services.

What is network management?

Network management is the reasonable and nondiscriminatory enforcement of network usage policies and the management of bandwidth use and capacity. Network management includes congestion-and security-protocol-management. While maintaining its network, Plateau is also promoting the dynamic benefits of an open and accessible Internet. So, the broadband experience of Plateau’s customers will generally not be impacted by the industry-standard network management techniques used by Plateau.

Which parts of the network does Plateau manage?

Plateau manages the network up to the modem. Plateau does not control the operation of specific websites that may slow down during busy periods or the overall performance of the public Internet.

Why does Plateau manage its network?

Plateau manages its network in order to provide the ultimate broadband Internet service to its customers. Plateau acknowledges that bandwidth and network resources are not infinite and must be reasonably confined. In order to bring you the best possible broadband Internet experience, Plateau enforces network management policies that limit network congestion and delay while ensuring that all Internet content is treated fairly and is not unlawfully blocked or degraded. Plateau’s network management practices are intended to protect the network, and Plateau’s customers, from network congestion, threats to the network, security attacks, viruses and spam. Plateau manages its network in a way that is transparent and not unreasonably discriminatory.

How does Plateau manage its network?

Plateau has policies in place to ensure that customers are able to access the lawful Internet content of their choice, run the Internet applications of their choice and to promote the continued development of the Internet. Plateau may use one or more of the following industry standard techniques to manage its network. This list is not exhaustive:

• Monitoring the network to identify congestion, security breaches, malware or damage to the network
• Rerouting Internet traffic to relieve congestion
• Port Filtering
• Additions or upgrades to increase network capacity
• Enforcement of Acceptable Use Policy, Terms and Conditions of Service, and/or Service Agreements against customers abusing the network
• Using security protocols to ensure authentication of customers
• Providing resources to customer’s for identifying and reporting spam, viruses, firewall issues, and phishing schemes
• Filtering spam
• Preventing viruses from harming the network
• Thwarting denial of service attacks
• Rate limiting certain traffic on Plateau’s fixed wireless network

Network management practices are a necessity to guard against harmful threats to the network such as network congestion, security attacks, excessive spam, and viruses. Reasonable network management practices ensure that you will have the best possible broadband Internet experience.

Will Plateau's network management impact my online experience?

Plateau uses reasonable network management tools and practices that are minimally intrusive to its customers and are consistent with industry standards. In accordance with Plateau’s policies, Terms and Conditions for Service, Broadband Internet Acceptable Use Policy (“AUP”), and the Internet Service Agreement, customers have agreed to comply with all current bandwidth, data storage, and other limitations on Plateau’s Broadband Internet Services. Thus, Plateau’s tools and practices will generally impact only users that have violated the terms of Plateau’s policies, AUP, Terms and Conditions for Service, or the Internet Service Agreement. Users are also more likely to experience an impact on online experience during peak periods where congestion is prevalent.

What can I expect if I am in violation of Plateau's policies, the Broadband Internet AUP, Terms and Conditions of Service or the Internet Service Agreement?

If you, the customer, are in violation of any of the foregoing, the impact to your online experience may include, but will not necessarily be limited to, any one or all of the following:

• Notification by Plateau that you are in violation of the company’s policies, Terms and Conditions or agreement and given a reasonable timeframe in which to take corrective action
• Removal or blockage of material that has resulted in the violation including, but not limited to, illegal content
• Suspension or delay of the delivery of E-mail if deemed excessive
• Filtering of Internet transmissions
• Suspension or termination of your broadband Internet service account

Customers could also experience longer download or upload times or slower web surfing.

How will I know if my account is suspended because of a violation of Plateau's policies, the Broadband Internet AUP, Terms and Conditions of Service or Service Agreement?

Generally, you will have received a notification from Plateau that you have committed a violation and would have been given a period of time during which to take corrective action. If, however, your violation persists, you will discover that you are unable to access the Internet through Plateau’s Broadband Internet Service. You will be unable to surf the web or conduct online activities.

What should I do if my account is suspended?

If your account is suspended, you should contact Plateau and follow Plateau’s instructions for reinstating service.