Hi everyone!

This month we will be discussing the topic of fair usage policy (FUP). You may have noticed that our Unlimited broadband packages, both Fixed and Wireless, have a daily FUP. A daily FUP represents a daily allowance of gigabytes (GB), your daily allowance is defined by your chosen unlimited broadband plan. If you're wondering how an Unlimited package can have a daily allowance, don't worry, it is a very common question! We'll explain how it all works in this month's byte!

Most Internet Service Providers (ISPs ) around the world, implement some form of FUP (Fair Usage Policy) for consumers. FUP is designed to protect the majority of customers, on a given package. Unlimited subscriptions will create challenges for the network/bandwidth resources if left unmanaged, and customers would face a possible degradation in Quality Of Service (QoS). A FUP ensures that network resources are available to all users in an equal way. Since network and bandwidth resources are not infinite, operators must find a way to ensure that their subscribers have an appreciable user experience on average, in a reasonable way.

A relatable example is if the electricity supply were Unlimited to the premise, there would be constant power outages/instability across households and businesses.

1. What is the specific fair use policy for your internet service plans? Can you provide details about the data usage thresholds, limitations, and any associated penalties.

At Cable and Wireless Seychelles (CWS), we recognise that internet services are a contended service which means that customers which are on the same network are sharing this service. Therefore, in order to maintain a balance between different connections on the network, an FUP is implemented as this is a method to control significant congestion. The complete details of our FUP for our different internet packages can be found on our website under our Terms and Conditions. You may click on the link for more information: https://cwseychelles.com/terms-and-conditions. At this point in time, CWS is applying a reduction in speed, until midnight, when unreasonable, excessive, or fraudulent usage is recorded. After that, all performance restrictions are lifted to equally benefit all our customers by ensuring they are provided with a seamless connection.

2. Are there any specific activities or types of content that are restricted or limited under the fair use policy? If so, can you provide examples?

There is no traffic type or content restricted or limited within your FUP.  However, on reaching your FUP the lower speed will impact on the quality/experience for services/content related to heavy streaming or downloading. We have done the necessary to ensure that activities such as browsing and email can still be accessed effortlessly and freely even if FUP has been exceeded.

3. Can you explain how the fair use policy may impact internet speeds or bandwidth during peak usage times? Are there any specific measures in place to ensure a reasonable level of service for all users?

There is no direct link between FUP and Peak Times. Although, during peak times the chances of reaching the maximum speed of your package may be reduced due to a greater strain on resources.  

Due to the efforts that we have made for our setup, customers are expected to reach the maximum speed of the unlimited package above 70% of the time, to ensure a good value for service, as we have recorded that most customers are not reaching the FUP threshold or even noticing the feature.

To further benefit customers, CWS has also recently revamped its Unlimited packages to ensure that popular streaming services, Netflix and YouTube, are not accounted for as part of FUP management. Therefore, our customers are encouraged to stream as much as possible on these two platforms.

4. Are there any options available for users who consistently exceed the fair use policy? Are there upgrade options or add-ons that allow for increased data usage? 

If you are constantly using your entire FUP, we suggest that you consider upgrading to a higher package. Otherwise, for a faster and more convenient option, we have affordable selection of Giga Unlimited Boosters available that can be purchased instantly via eShop or MyCare. 

And that's the deal with fair suage policy!

If there is anything specific you would like for us to discuss, feel free to send over some suggestions on our Facebook & Instagram pages!