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NOW Broadband traffic management policy

As we’re committed to providing our members with the best possible broadband experience, we follow a voluntary code of practice which aims to make traffic management easier to understand and compare between providers.

All of the NOW Broadband Membership plans (Brilliant Broadband, Fab Fibre and Super Fibre) are truly unlimited and not subject to traffic management. This means we won't reduce your speed at any time, regardless of how much you upload or download.

Take a look at the tables below for more detailed information about our traffic management policy.

Brilliant Broadband, Fab Fibre and Super Fibre

Our unlimited broadband membership plans are not subject to any traffic management, which means we won't slow you down at any time regardless of how much you upload or download.

Section 1: Traffic management at non-peak times

Name of membership plan: Brilliant Broadband, Fab Fibre, Super Fibre

Use and availability of services, content, application and protocols on this plan

Details of traffic management
Are any services, content, applications or protocols always blocked on this plan?*No
If so, what?N/A
Are any services, content, applications or protocols always prioritised?No
If so, what?N/A
Are any services, content, applications or protocols always slowed down?No
If so, what?N/A
Are any managed services delivered on this plan?No
If so, what?N/A

Data caps and download limits

Details of data caps and download limits
What are the download/upload limits or data usage caps on this product?None
Is traffic management used to manage compliance with data caps and download limits?No
Under what circumstances?N/A
Level of speed reduction?N/A
Duration of speed reduction?N/A
Is traffic management used in relation to heavy users?No
Under what circumstances?N/A
Level of speed reduction?N/A
Duration of speed reduction?N/A


Section 2: Traffic management during peak hours
Details of traffic management
Is traffic management used during peak hours?No
When are typical peak hours?N/A


Traffic management by type of traffic
Traffic typeBlockedSlowed downPrioritised
Peer to Peer (P2P)
Newsgroups
Browsing/email
VOIP (Voice over IP)
Gaming
Audio streaming
Video streaming
Music downloads
Video downloads
Instant messaging
Software updates

 

Traffic management and congestion management
Is traffic management used to manage congestion in particular locations?No
If so, how?N/A


* This excludes any service, content, application or protocol that an ISP is required to block by UK law and child abuse images as informed by the list provided by the Internet Watch Foundation.

** If no entry is shown against a particular traffic type, no traffic management is typically applied to it though overall network management rules shall apply.

*** In addition to the above practices, NOW Broadband also modifies some traffic to optimise the end-user experience. The rationale for doing so is to make best use of network capacity to support real-time applications and make efficient use of data allowances.

Glossary

Traffic management:
Traffic management is the term used to describe a range of technical practices undertaken to manage traffic across networks.

The different outcomes achieved by the use of technical practices can include:

  • the prioritisation of certain types of traffic in busy times or busy areas to ensure that it is of an adequate quality
  • the slowing down of certain traffic types that are not time-critical at busy times or busy places
  • ensuring compliance with a consumer’s contract, for example slowing down of traffic for the heaviest users
  • supporting the delivery of managed services, for example to ensure a guaranteed quality of service for a specific piece of content


Managed services:
The majority of internet traffic is delivered on a "best efforts" basis. A managed service, on the other hand is one whereby an ISP offers "quality of service" that can guarantee a certain level of performance, so that the content, service or application can be delivered without risk of degradation from network congestion. Such a quality of service arrangement can be made between an ISP and a content or service provider or directly between an ISP and the consumer.

Best Efforts:
This phrase relates to the delivery of internet traffic where traffic management is applied without distinctions based on the source of that traffic.

Slowed down:
This outcome is achieved by the deployment of technologies that can decrease the priority of traffic types deemed to be non-time critical on the network e.g. slowing down traffic such as downloads during busy times and busy periods.

Prioritised:
This outcome is achieved by the deployment of technologies that increase the priority given to certain traffic types, e.g. time-critical traffic such as video. This outcome can also be achieved as a consequence of slowing down other selected traffic which reduces the overall data flow on the network.

Heavy users:
Heavy users can cause peak traffic volumes to exceed the engineered maximum load. In practice this refers to a very small proportion of users of a network whose use is excessive to the extent that it impacts on other users.


For information from Ofcom on Traffic Management, visit ofcom.org.uk

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