HughesNet Fair Access Policy

Understanding the Fair Access Policy

To ensure equal access for all HughesNet™ satellite internet subscribers, Hughes Network Systems maintains a running average Fair Access Policy (FAP). This Fair Access Policy establishes an equitable balance in satellite internet access across satellite broadband services by service plan for all HughesNet customers, regardless of frequency of their use or the volume of traffic. To ensure this equity, customers may experience some temporary throughput limitations. HughesNet satellite internet access is not guaranteed. This policy applies to all service plans including "Unlimited" plans where customers' use of the Service is not limited to a specific number of hours per month. » FAP FAQ

HughesNet system usage data indicates that approximately 5% of satellite internet subscribers are responsible for a disproportionate share, often representing as much as half of the total HughesNet service traffic. Unfortunately, many of those subscribers are not using HughesNet for its intended purpose. To ensure that all HughesNet subscribers have fair and equal access to the benefits of our satellite internet broadband service, HughesNet has enacted a Fair Access Policy to prevent abusive consumption of bandwidth by a small percentage of users.

Our Fair Access Policy is straightforward: based on an analysis of satellite internet usage data, Hughes Network Systems has established a HughesNet usage threshold well above the maximum typical usage rates. When a customer with satellite internet exhibits patterns of system usage which exceed that threshold for an extended period of time, the FAP may temporarily limit that subscriber's throughput to ensure the integrity of the system for all HughesNet subscribers.

Typically, the restrictions will be lifted within 8-12 hours of the original application of the FAP if the customer's satellite internet usage in this period stays below the established FAP threshold.

For example, you may experience an FAP restriction if the cumulative requested downloads in a relatively short time period (1-4 hours) exceeds your HughesNet plan download threshold. An example of what can be downloaded within any HughesNet plan would be a software application such as Microsoft Internet Explorer or Adobe Acrobat. Normal satellite internet surfing generates small downloads for each Web page viewed. For example, an hour of surfing can generate 1-10 MB of download activity depending on the content being surfed - well below the amount required to trigger FAP restrictions.

Subscribers of satellite internet are likely to avoid the limitations imposed by the FAP if their use is typical of the majority of Internet users and consists of Web surfing and a reasonable amount of downloading. See below for a table of FAP parameters for each plan of HughesNet satellite internet.

¹Download Threshold is the volume, in megabytes, of data that can be downloaded continuously before the Fair Access Policy may restrict the download speed.

²Recovery Rate is the rate, in kilobits per second, at which a service plan recovers the Download Threshold

Click here for more information - FAP FAQ

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