Network Management Practices
HUGHES® manages the HughesNet® network with one goal: to deliver the best possible high-speed Internet experience to all of its customers. High-speed bandwidth and network resources are not unlimited. Managing the network is essential to promote the use and enjoyment of the Internet by all of our customers. We use reasonable network management practices that are consistent with industry standards. In furtherance of our commitment to achieving this goal, we also try to use tools and technologies that are minimally intrusive. Just as the Internet continues to change and evolve, so, too, will our network management practices change to address the challenges and threats on the Internet. If we didn't manage our network, our customers would be subject to the negative effects of spam, viruses, security attacks, network congestion, and other risks and degradations of the service. By engaging in reasonable and responsible network management, Hughes can deliver the best possible broadband Internet experience to all of its customers.
How does Hughes manage its network?
Hughes uses various tools and techniques to manage its network, deliver its service, and ensure compliance with the Acceptable Use Policy and the Subscriber Agreement. Most of these tools and techniques will be completely transparent to our users, and will have no impact on any of our users’ Internet experiences. These tools and techniques are dynamic, like the network and its usage, and can and do change frequently in order to address new issues and challenges that arise and to take advantage of advances in technology. For example, these network management activities may include identifying spam and preventing its delivery to customer email accounts, detecting malicious Internet traffic and preventing the distribution of viruses or other harmful code or content, and using other tools and techniques that Hughes may be required to implement in order to meet its goal of delivering the best possible broadband Internet experience to all of its customers. Hughes only uses these tools and techniques when and to the extent that their use is necessary or appropriate to protect our network and/or our customers’ Internet experiences. In addition, Hughes also has a Fair Access Policy to ensure that the highest number of HughesNet customers enjoy the best possible HughesNet Service.
Does Hughes prioritize certain kinds of traffic as part of Network Management Practices?
Hughes prioritizes traffic through the network based on traffic type, especially during periods of network congestion, with the aim of optimizing the performance of latency-sensitive applications such as Web browsing. During such periods, secure Web browsing (which is used during e-commerce transactions) is given the highest priority, followed by non-secure Web browsing. During such periods, other traffic, such as bulk downloads, is given lower priority. Hughes may change these priorities, and the relative weighting between them, based on network utilization and application performance. Hughes does not prioritize based upon the content provider or source of the content.
Does Hughes block P2P traffic or applications like BitTorrent, Gnutella, or others?
No. Hughes does not block Peer-to-Peer (P2P) traffic or applications like BitTorrent, Gnutella, or others as part of its network congestion management techniques. In order to ensure fair access to all types of traffic, however, we limit the network capacity available for P2P applications, which has the effect of reducing the priority of such traffic. P2P applications are detected based on deep packet inspection and the use of industry-standard heuristics, and are not based on specific port numbers or applications.
Does Hughes discriminate on the basis of the source of online content?
No. Hughes provides its customers with full access to all the lawful content, services, and applications that the Internet has to offer. As indicated above, we evaluate the type of content (Web, mail, P2P, file transfer) and assign it a priority. We do not discriminate on the basis of the content provider or source or the content. However, we are committed to protecting customers from spam, phishing, and other unwanted or harmful online content and activities. Hughes uses industry-standard tools and generally accepted best practices and policies to help it meet this customer commitment.
Where do I turn if I have questions or comments for Hughes?
If you have any questions about the Hughes Network Management Practices or want to know what steps are taken in an effort to maximize our customers’ satisfaction with the HughesNet experience, please determine your preferred contact method by visiting the Hughes Website at support.hughes.com or call the HughesNet Customer Service Center at 1-866-347-3292.
Revised 11-28-11
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