• MetTel does not limit its customers’ Internet access bandwidth at its network operating center (NOC), and ensures bandwidth availability through multiple dedicated and diverse Internet backbone connections with bandwidth capacity exceeding measured peak demand. 
• Except as part of a managed service described below, MetTel does not block or rate-control specific protocols or protocol ports, modify protocol fields in ways not prescribed by the protocol standard, or otherwise inhibit or favor certain applications or classes of applications.
• Except as required to comply with court orders, statutes, regulations or governmental requests, MetTel does not inspect customer Internet traffic or store customers’ Internet access history.
• MetTel does not prohibit the use of any network-compatible equipment. 
• Pricing for Internet access varies based on the access method and term commitment selected by customer and is billed monthly.  

MetTel dedicated Internet access circuits consist of a dedicated network connection with fixed bandwidth between a customer’s location and MetTel’s NOC, where MetTel provides direct access to the Internet. Internet access speeds are governed by the bandwidth of the dedicated connection to the MetTel network and range from T1 (1.544M) to GigE (1,000M) data rates.
Internet access is also provided in connection with other hosted network solutions requiring access to the MetTel NOC, including hosted multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) networks and private branch exchange (PBX) voice products.  Network configurations and access methods are generally custom-designed for each customer.  As with dedicated Internet access, Internet access speeds are generally governed by the method of access to the MetTel network, but may be managed in the following manner, at customers’ option: 

• As part of its hosted network solutions, MetTel offers its customers MPLS networks, using standard MPLS protocol, which allows customers to prioritize their data packet transmission among customer sites and the MetTel NOC to give first priority to voice and other “real-time” data. 
• MetTel also offers customers the ability to allocate only a portion of the available bandwidth of its connection(s) to MetTel NOC to Internet traffic, so that other portions of available bandwidth may be dedicated to other services, including hosted PBX products.  Under this configuration, Internet access speeds would be limited to the bandwidth customer has elected to dedicate to that service. 

In each of the foregoing products, the data rate of the network connection to MetTel’s NOC is fixed, although the bandwidth allocated to Internet traffic can vary based on the application.  As each customer’s configuration varies, the suitability of any access methods for a specific Internet application will vary.  As with any Internet access product, the access speed that an end-user will experience when accessing the Internet through MetTel’s network will depend upon a variety of conditions.  Most of these conditions are beyond the control of MetTel, and include:

Other services using available bandwidth.  MetTel’s dedicated and hosted solutions are generally shared in an office environment where multiple users may be attempting to access the Internet or other network resources at the same time, which will limit the total bandwidth available to any specific user at that time for both Internet and other network resources.  Absent a customer’s election to prioritize certain users’ or types of data, MetTel does not exert control over the bandwidth available to customers, and customers’ end-users are given equal priority to access the Internet. In an MPLS network, certain data such as voice packets will be given a higher transmission priority than Internet traffic, and heavy voice or other high-priority data usage on the network will limit the bandwidth available for Internet access. 

Computer performance.  The performance of an end-user’s computer, including its age, processing and memory resources, its operating system, the number of applications running simultaneously (particularly where several applications are accessing the Internet or network resources, which may occur without the end-user’s awareness), and the presence of any viruses, advertising or other unwanted or malicious programs may limit Internet performance.

The local network configuration and components, including the connection between an end-user’s computer and the router or modem controlling access to the MetTel network. For example, wireless connections and certain local wiring configurations may be slower than direct connections into a router or modem. Wireless connections also may be subject to greater fluctuations, interference (including from smart-phones and other devices) and congestion.

The distance packets travel (round trip time of packets) between an end-user’s computer or network and its final destination on the Internet, including the number and quality of the networks of various operators in the transmission path. The Internet is a network comprised of multiple networks all interconnected to one another at various points worldwide. Data packets sent by or destined for an end-user’s connection may traverse the networks of multiple providers before reaching its destination, and the limitations of those networks will most likely affect the overall speed of that end-user’s session.  To limit the effect of Internet congestion, MetTel maintains multiple Internet backbone connections and routes customer traffic to the Internet using the shortest route available to the destination.

Congestion or high usage levels at the website or destination. If a large number of visitors are accessing a site or particular destination at the same time, an end-user’s connection will be affected if the site or destination cannot serve all of the requests efficiently.

Limitations of the website or destination visited. In order to control traffic or performance, many websites limit the speeds at which a visitor can download from their site. Those limitations will carry through to an end-user’s connection.

The performance of customer premise equipment. Router performance may degrade over time, and certain routers are not capable of handling the maximum throughput available on a local loop. In addition, any firewall, filter or similar interface employed at a customer’s premise will reduce perceived access speeds as Internet traffic is delayed for analysis.

MetTel also provides Internet access products from third parties through its wholesale and resale relationships.  MetTel may use any number of wholesale providers to deliver service, and those providers may have network management practices that differ from MetTel’s.  MetTel will refer customers to the applicable providers’ policy upon request; however, MetTel reserves its right to change underlying providers without notice.

Redress Options. MetTel wants to promptly address questions about your service. Call us toll free for matters regarding customer care, billing, sales, or maintenance using the contacts provided at the following page: contact us. Please address any questions or concerns regarding this disclosure to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , using the subject line “Network Management Policy.”