Network Management Policy
Golden West Telecommunications (“Golden West” or “Company”) provides this Network Management Policy in accordance with the FCC’s Restore Internet Freedom Rules to ensure that you have sufficient information to make informed choices about the purchase of broadband services. Information about Golden West’s other policies and practices concerning broadband are available at www.goldenwest.com (“Golden West Website”).
Golden West engages in network management practices that are tailored and appropriate for achieving optimization on the network considering the particular network architecture and technology of its broadband Internet access service. Golden West’s goal is to ensure that all of its customers experience a safe and secure broadband Internet environment that is fast, reliable, and competitively priced. Golden West wants its customers to utilize all that the Internet has to offer, whether it is social networking, streaming videos and music, to communicating through email and videoconferencing.
Golden West’s network management includes congestion and security-protocol-management and customers generally will not be impacted by the protocols and practices that Golden West uses to manage its network.
A. Golden West’s Network Transparency Disclosures
Golden West uses various tools and industry standard techniques to manage its network and deliver fast, secure and reliable Internet service. Golden West believes in full transparency and provides the following disclosures about its network management practices:
1. Blocking: Golden West does not block or discriminate against lawful content or non-malicious Internet traffic.
2. Throttling: Golden West does not throttle, impair or degrade lawful and non- malicious Internet traffic.
3. Affiliated Prioritization: Golden West does not prioritize Internet traffic.
4. Paid Prioritization: Golden West does not engage in paid prioritization. We don’t prioritize Internet for consideration to benefit particular content, applications, services or devices.
5. Congestion Management: Golden West monitors the connections on its network on a daily basis to determine the rate of utilization. If congestion emerges on the network, Golden West will take the appropriate measures to relieve congestion.
On Golden West’s network, 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 Golden West’s network.
Customers using conduct that abuses or threatens the Golden West 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.
Golden West’s network and congestion management practices are ‘application-agnostic’, based on current network conditions, and are not implemented on the basis of customers’ online activities, protocols or applications. Golden West’s network management practices do not relate to any particular customer’s aggregate monthly data usage.
Golden West monitors its network on a daily basis to determine utilization on its network. Golden West 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, Golden West provides notification to the customer via email or phone. If a violation of Golden West’s policies has occurred and such violation is not remedied, Golden West will seek to suspend or terminate that customer’s service.
6. Application-Specific Behavior: Except as may be provided elsewhere herein, Golden West does not currently engage in any application-specific behaviors on its network. Customers may use any lawful applications with Golden West.
7. Device Attachment Rules: Customers must use PPPoE for authentication of broadband connections between devices on the network. There is a limit of one (1) PPPoE session per account. For best results, DSL modems, wireless modems, or other proprietary network gateways used on the Golden West broadband network should be provided by Golden West. Customers may attach devices of their choosing to their modems, including wired or wireless routers, laptops, desktop computers, video game systems, televisions, or other network-enabled electronics equipment. However, customers are responsible for ensuring that their equipment does not harm Golden West’s network or impair the service of other customers. Golden West is not responsible for the functionality or compatibility of any equipment provided by its customers. Customers are responsible for securing their own equipment to prevent unauthorized access to Golden West’s broadband network by third parties and will be held responsible for the actions of such third parties who gain unauthorized access through unsecured customer equipment.
8. Network Security: Golden West 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 protections from such threats as spam, viruses, firewall issues, and phishing schemes. Golden West also deploys spam filters in order to divert spam from an online customer’s email inbox into a quarantine file while allowing the customer to control which emails are identified as spam. Customers may access the spam files through the email. Spam files are automatically deleted if not accessed within 30 days.
As its normal practice, Golden West does not block any common protocols, content or traffic for purposes of network management, but Golden West may block or limit such traffic as spam, viruses, malware, botnets, or denial of service attacks to protect network integrity and the security of our customers.
B. Network Performance
1. Service Descriptions
Golden West deploys Internet access to its subscribers through hardwired broadband access utilizing Fiber, DSL and Cable Modem, depending on the location. More information on the broadband services provided by Golden West can be found at www.goldenwest.com, or by calling our business office at 1-855-888-7777, option 3.
2. Network Performance
Golden West makes every effort to support advertised speeds and will attempt to troubleshoot and resolve speed and application performance issues on Golden West’s network. Golden West measures utilization on the network and strives to meet internal service level targets.
However, the bandwidth speed at which a particular distant website or other Internet resources may be downloaded, or the speed at which your customer information may be uploaded to a distant website or Internet location is affected by factors beyond Golden West’s control, including the speed of the connection from a distant web server to the Internet, congestion on intermediate networks, and/or limitations on your own computer equipment, including a wireless router. In addition, your service performance may be affected by the inside wiring at your premise. Accordingly, you, the customer, must consider the capabilities of your own equipment when choosing a Golden West broadband service. Your computers and/or wireless or other networks in your homes or offices may need an upgrade in order to take full advantage of the chosen Golden West broadband plan.
Golden West measures traffic every 5 min for Fiber, DSL and Special Access services. All services are best effort.
Golden West tests broadband speeds at the time of the order to upgrade service to demonstrate that the service is capable of supporting the advertised speed. If tests indicate that customer location is not able to receive advertised speed, customer is notified prior to service upgrade. Customer will be advised if the expected speed is unknown, such as during new installation on dsl plant facilities. Customers may also test their actual speeds using the speed test located at http://speedtest.goldenwest.net/ on Golden West’s website and may request assistance by calling our business office at 1-855-888-7777.
3. Impact of Non-BIAS Data Services
The FCC has defined Non-Broadband Internet Access Services (Non-BIAS) to include services offered by broadband providers that share capacity with Broadband Internet Access Services (BIAS) (previously known as “Specialized Services”) also offered by the provider over the last-mile facilities. At this time, Golden West is not offering any non-BIAS data services.
C. Commercial Terms
To see Golden West’s current broadband promotions and pricing, please visit our website at www.goldenwest.com, which includes Broadband Labels for each of our broadband offerings. To inquire about broadband service over the phone, please call 1-855-888-7777, option 3. The information on Golden West’s current Broadband Labels is also available in a machine readable spreadsheet here.
In addition to this Network Transparency Statement, patrons may also find links to the following on the Golden West Website:
For questions, complaints or requests for additional information, please contact Golden West at 1-855-888-7777.