Internet: Bandwidth
What is a Bandwidth or Download Limit?
Our competitors have come up with some creative ways to name what is really just a usage meter. These competitors are now saying it as a reason why you should go with them instead of Knology. In fact, our usage meter is the very reason you should choose Knology. Thank you for taking the time to get the facts.
How much bandwidth do I get?
| Gold Internet | Silver Internet | Bronze Internet | |
| Gigabytes | 250 | 50 | 3 |
| Megabytes | 250,000 | 2=50,000 | 3,000 |
| Kilobytes | 250,000,000 | 50,000,000,000 | 3,000,000,000 |
| How many hours of IM ( 1 hour chat ) | 12,571,429 | 4,071,429 | 214,286 |
| How many web pages ( 350k Web Page ) | 426,857 | 84,857 | 8,571 |
| Emails ( 2000 Characters, 14 kilobytes ) | 6,571,429 | 2,071,429 | 214,286 |
| Songs ( 3 minutes or about 4mb .mp3 ) | 24,500 | 6,750 | 750 |
| Streaming audio ( 128k stream ) | 1820.2 hrs | 546.1 hrs | 54.6 hrs |
| Video Clips ( 5 min clip = 30 mb ) | 2,667 | 1298 | 100 |
| How many films ( full length = 1500 Mb ) | 124 | 26 | 2 |
| Streaming video ( 1 hr at 15k per sec ) | 3668 | 682 | 56 |
Do a lot of customers go over the set limits?
No. Fewer than 10 percent of our high speed Internet users go over the transfer limits
Other providers looking at how to keep costs down for average users follow Knology's lead.
- Policing The Bandwidth Pigs: Time Warner Cable, Comcast Test Broadband Controls. Click Here
- AT&T Mulls Surcharge for High DSL use. Click Here
- Time Warner and Charter Set Internet-Usage Cap Plans. Click Here
- AT&T tests data use limits Click here
FACTS:
-- It is unlikely an average user would exceed the bandwidth usage included with their plan with just web site browsing and using email.
-- The majority (more than 80%) of our customers will never receive an overage bill.
-- Privacy is paramount. Bandwidth usage metering is a completely anonymous method of managing a network. Our meter knows how much data is moving through. It does not know what the data or content is.
-- All of our customers can check their bandwidth usage at https://my.sunflower.com/.
-- We will always credit a customer back their first and second month's overage charge upon request.
-- We have raised our limits many times and will continue to. Not because of competition but because average use is increasing, and our... bandwidth metering is meant to help us manage high capacity users (top 10%) without impact to the majority of our customers.
What is a bandwidth usage meter?
Bandwidth usage is similar to water for the Internet; it is the amount of data moving through the pipes of the Internet. Your faucet to turn on and off bandwidth is a browser, email client or similar applications used to access the Internet. Our average users, about 77%, use 6 gigabytes or less of bandwidth per month. Our high-end subscribers, about 2%, use 50 gigs or more.
Why does Knology meter bandwidth usage?
We do not meter bandwidth usage to increase profits, but we do it to keep rates down for the average Internet user. Our Internet rates are among, if not "the", lowest in the country for the speeds we offer. Usage metering allows us to invest in a network that gives the few high-end users the consistently high performance they demand without charging the average users for their bandwidth.
What about other providers who offer unlimited bandwidth?
Some providers allow all users to do whatever they want until the network slows down for everyone. What good is unlimited bandwidth on a slow network? Other network providers slow down high-end users, implement hard limits or even kick them off their network. We welcome high-end users to our high-end speed. We let them choose how much bandwidth they need and then we let all users monitor their bandwidth through MyBroadband. We know our bandwidth usage meter is the best way to maximize value for all customers.
What happens if I go over the amount of bandwidth usage included?
We will always credit a customer back their first and, if needed, second occurrence of being charged for bandwidth usage. Most often, usage is exceeded because of malicious activity including viruses, Trojan programs, spyware, or a neighbor using a customer's Internet though an unsecured wireless router. We will work with customers to help secure their bandwidth and credit any related overage charges in those first two months. We will work together to find out what is causing the overage and making sure you are subscribed to the level of internet that best meets your needs for the price.
What do you charge for bandwidth usage?
Each level of Knology Internet has a set amount of bandwidth
usage included. Additional bandwidth is charged at $1.00 for each additional gigabyte.
You may buy additional bandwidth in advance at the following prices:
- 10 GB for $10.00 per month
- 50 GB for $25.00 per month
Or, it may be more economical for you to move to the next level of service and enjoy the increased download speeds.
You may add bandwidth in advance for $10.00 for 10 GB, or it may be more economical to move to the next level of internet and also enjoy increased download speed.
Why do you charge for bandwidth usage instead of just notifying?
There are two reasons why we charge. First is to bring the bandwidth usage to the customer's attention so they will look for the virus, secure their unsecured wireless connection or upgrade to a faster level of internet that better fits their usage. Second, we charge because we have customers who pay for extra bandwidth every month because they like the speed we offer and find value and benefit from their high usage that justifies the cost of their bandwidth. These customers get what they want without Knology having to pass on those bandwidth costs to other users.
*Bandwidth usage based on April 2007 actual usage.