What is a 'Fair Usage Policy'?

You may have noticed that, though your Internet Service Providers (ISPs) offers “unlimited” downloads, usage is subject to a “fair usage policy” and wondered what was going on. Essentially, fair usage policies limit the usage of “heavy” or “excessive” users at peak times. These restrictions are imposed to ensure that the best quality of broadband is available to the maximum number of internet users.

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What are “peak times for broadband usage?”

These vary from ISP to ISP but are generally from 6pm-11pm.

What is a “heavy” or “excessive” broadband user?

Heavy or excessive users are generally those who use Peer-to-Peer (P2P) or file sharing software. They are usually people who upload and download large files, such as movies and music, to their computer on a daily basis. These users take up excessive bandwidth, slowing the connection down for everyone else.

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How much broadband usage is too much?

Day to day surfing, checking emails and occasional downloading should not get you into trouble with your ISP. However, downloading a 1-3GB movie every day is almost certain to. The key is to keep an eye on the amount that you are downloading. Then if you're classed as a heavy or excessive user, restructure your internet usage pattern so that you are not uploading or downloading at peak times.

How is broadband usage limited?

Generally, after a couple of months of excessive use, ISPs will notify you if they feel that your usage is heavy or excessive. This notification will usually point you in the direction of their specific policy on “fair usage” and suggest that you refrain from up- or down-loading large files at peak times. If you don’t take heed of their warnings your ISP will slow down the speed of your connection at peak times. In serious cases your ISP may terminate your internet connection. Be warned.