Allowance Plan: Frequently Asked Questions

What is "Internet usage"?

How much usage am I allowed on my Suddenlink Internet account?

Why is Suddenlink establishing usage allowances?

How much can I do with my usage allowance?

How many customers exceed their monthly allowance?

What happens if I'm one of the few who exceeds the monthly allowance?

How can I increase my monthly allowance?

How can I monitor my usage or change my future notification options?

I have usage measuring software and it reports a different number than Suddenlink reports. Why?

What causes high usage?

Does Suddenlink offer any plans with higher allowances or unlimited usage?

Will un-used gigabytes roll over to the next month, like un-used cell phone minutes?



What is "Internet usage"?

Internet usage - also known as "bandwidth usage" - refers to all of the traffic or data that travels through a customer's cable modem. (Traditional cable television does not travel through a cable modem.) Much like electric usage is measured in kilowatts and water usage is measured in gallons, Internet usage is measured in gigabytes (GB). Using a single GB, someone could send approximately 50,000 single-page emails, without attachments.


How much usage am I allowed on my Suddenlink Internet account?

Consistent with our Acceptable Use Policy and Residential Services Agreement, Suddenlink is in the process of putting usage allowances in place for residential (non-business) Internet accounts. The allowances listed in the table below are not yet effective in all areas. Residential customers will be notified by mail and/or other means when a usage allowance has been put into place for their account.




Why is Suddenlink establishing usage allowances?

Allowances are one step among several that will help us continue delivering a quality Internet experience for our customers. Other such steps include the sizable investments we’ve made – and will keep making – to provide greater downstream and upstream system capacity and more bandwidth per home. Even with those investments, a few customers (less than one percent) consume a disproportionate amount of bandwidth, which can negatively affect the Internet experience of those who consume far less. That’s why, as a complement to our network investments, we’re establishing allowances. They are a fair and equitable approach to helping us make sure the overwhelming majority (99-plus percent) of our customers are able to fully enjoy their current online activities.


How much can I do with my usage allowance?

The allowances we have established allow a significant volume of activity. We've provided some examples in the following chart. A customer who completed all of the activity listed in one column should be well within the corresponding monthly allowance.




How many customers exceed their monthly allowance?

Very few. Based on historical data, we estimate our monthly allowances will be more than sufficient for 99 out of every 100 customers.


What happens if I'm one of the few who exceeds the monthly allowance?

After you are notified that a monthly allowance has been applied to your account, the following steps will be taken for the very few who go over their allowance:

• After the first overage, the customer's Web browser will be directed to a Suddenlink notification page. The customer will be required to read that page, select how he or she wants to receive future notifications (by Web browser or email), enter the account number, and then save the information.
• From that point forward, future notifications on this subject will be sent each time an account reaches 80% of its monthly allowance and again when it exceeds 100%. Those notifications will be delivered through the means selected on the first overage, unless customers change their notification preference by visiting their Internet usage summary page at Suddenlink.net.
• Customer accounts will not be billed for exceeding their monthly allowance until the third overage. On the third and subsequent overages, the monthly allowance will be increased in installments of 50 GB at a cost of $10 per installment.

How can I increase my monthly allowance?

On the third and subsequent overages, your monthly allowance will be automatically increased in installments of 50 GB at a cost of $10 per installment. Alternatively, you may wish to consider one of our higher-speed, higher-allowance packages, if they are available in your area and you have not yet subscribed to one of them. See the chart provided earlier - in answer to the question "How much usage am I allowed on my Suddenlink Internet account?" - or visit our contact page to interact with one of our agents by phone, email, or chat.


How can I monitor my usage or change my future notification options?

Most Suddenlink customers already have access to an online usage summary that is updated daily. If that summary is available in your area, it can be found by logging in to your online account at Suddenlink.net, choosing "My Account," and then choosing "My Internet Usage Summary."

If you do not yet have an online account with us, visit Suddenlink.net; follow the registration instructions provided there; and then, when complete, choose "My Internet Usage Summary."

If you do not see a link to "My Internet Usage Summary," it means we have not yet introduced this resource in your area. Importantly, we will not apply allowances to any Internet account until the online usage summary is available.

Finally, where the usage summary is available and a monthly allowance has been established for residential Internet accounts, those customers can change their future notification options by visiting their Internet usage summary page.


I have usage measuring software and it reports a different number than Suddenlink reports. Why?

Our counting technology uses advanced, state-of-the-art hardware and software. We have compared results from our counting technology to results from several of the most popular counting technologies available to consumers and have found that the measurements are comparable. In fact, our technology consistently records total usage that is one to two percent lower than the usage recorded by the alternative technologies. Significant differences could be caused by a number of factors. For instance:

• Our technology counts all data transmitted through the modem, from all devices connected to and using that modem. Alternative technologies might count only the usage from one of the connected devices.
• Our technology maintains a continuous monthly log of usage. Alternative technologies might reset to zero whenever a modem is rebooted (i.e., powered off then powered back on).
• Our technology counts usage from the start to the end of each customer's billing period. Alternative technologies might count usage in a standard calendar month. Discrepancies in the time frame may account for discrepancies in the reported monthly usage.

What causes high usage?

Activity drives usage, such as sending and receiving emails, downloading and uploading files, etc. See the sample chart provided earlier, under the question, "How much can I do with my usage allowance?"

Granted, some activity might be happening without your knowledge. For instance: a virus or "spyware" application might have infected your computer and started transmitting data without your knowledge. Or someone else might be using your Internet connection without your knowledge. To help guard against these and other potential causes of high usage, please consider the following steps.

• If you have a wireless router, you may have unauthorized users logging onto your account. Ensure that your router is encrypted or password-protected by visiting the website of your router's manufacturer.
• Viruses and spyware applications can, without your knowledge, generate excessive Internet traffic. Install and regularly update your computer's security software to minimize the risk of your Internet connection being used by an outside party for unauthorized purposes. Suddenlink offers a free security package for qualifying customers.
• Install software to limit or eliminate the volume of spam you receive.
• Check with other members of your household regarding their Internet activities. For instance, someone in your home might leave a streaming video player running while they're away doing other things. During that time, your account is using bandwidth without anyone benefiting from it.
• If you've shared your Suddenlink Internet user ID and password with someone you suspect is causing you to exceed your monthly allowance, consider changing your password.
• Some popular, peer-to-peer file-sharing programs (e.g., Bit Torrent, Shareaza, etc.) may upload shared files, by default, to others as fast as your connection allows. This activity is often invisible to you, but it can result in significant usage. Check your file-sharing program preferences to make sure the upstream Internet is limited accordingly.
• If you use a news reader (e.g., Usenet), make sure that it is not set to automatically download message bodies for groups to which you subscribe. Otherwise, you may download a significant volume of material that is of no interest to you.
• Some online video sites provide options for limiting the amount of data transmitted from those sites. You may wish to check your favorite online video sites to see if they offer such options.

Does Suddenlink offer any plans with higher allowances or unlimited usage?

Not at this time. The only plans we currently offer are detailed above. We estimate these plans should be more than sufficient for 99 percent of our customers.


Will un-used gigabytes roll over to the next month, like un-used cell phone minutes?

Not at this time. Usage allowances are reset each month, for each billing period.