PROGRESSIVE RURAL TELEPHONE CO-OP INC 

Network Transparency Statement  

Progressive Rural Telephone Co-Op Inc, (“PRTC”, “Our”, and “We”) provides consumers with  accessible, easy-to-understand information about the services we provide to help make  informed decisions about what services will best suit their needs. Consistent with this  practice, we provide this Network Transparency Statement in accordance with the Federal  Communications Commission (“FCC”) requirements to disclose certain network management  practices, performance characteristics, and commercial terms. Information about PRTC’s  broadband policies and practices is available at www.progressivetel.com.  

Network Practices  

PRTC will not unjustly or unreasonably discriminate against lawful Internet content,  applications, services, or non-harmful devices.  

PRTC 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. Our goal is to ensure that all of our customers experience a safe and secure broadband Internet environment that is fast,  reliable and affordable. We want our customers to experience all that Internet offers,  whether it is social networking, streaming videos, listening to music, or communicating  through email and videoconferencing.  

Network Management Disclosures  

PRTC’s network practices include congestion and security-protocol-management. Such  protocols and practices generally will not impact our customers’ user experience. We use  various tools and industry-standard techniques to manage our network to ensure fast,  secure, and reliable Internet service. PRTC provides the following overview of its network  management practices:  

  1. Blocking: PRTC does not block or discriminate against lawful content, applications, services, or non-harmful devices. We conduct only reasonable network management. For network protection, large malicious attacks, such as DDoS, are blocked to or from particular IPs until the threat is removed or mitigated to prevent impacting the normal traffic flow of other subscribers. 
  2. Throttling: PRTC does not throttle, impair, or degrade lawful Internet traffic based on content, application, service, user, or use of a non-harmful device. We engage in only reasonable network management practices.
  3. Affiliated Prioritization: PRTC does not favor any affiliated Internet traffic over others, including through the use of techniques such as traffic shaping, prioritization, or resources reservation, to benefit an affiliate, and we have no plans to do so.
  1. Paid Prioritization: PRTC does not favor or prioritize any paid Internet traffic over others. We do not prioritize Internet websites over others in exchange for any consideration to benefit any content, applications, services, or devices. 

Network Management Practices  

PRTC’s network management practices are intended to ensure that we provide the best  possible Internet access to our customers. To achieve this goal, we employ network  management techniques such as identifying spam and preventing its delivery to customer  email accounts, detecting malicious Internet traffic, and preventing the distribution of, or  inadvertent access to, malware, phishing, viruses, or other harmful code or content.  

  1. Congestion Management: PRTC continuously monitors the connections on its network in aggregate for all Internet based types of traffic to determine the utilization rate. We may take appropriate measures to relieve undue congestion if it occurs on the network. 

PRTC’s network and congestion management practices do not discriminate based on the type of application being used, nor are they based on any particular customer’s aggregate monthly data usage. We examine only current network conditions, not our customers’ online activities. 

Customer conduct that abuses or threatens the PRTC network or violates our Internet Service Terms and Conditions will be asked to stop immediately. If a customer fails to respond or cease such conduct, we may suspend service or terminate the user’s account. 

PRTC 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, we provide notification to the customer via email or phone. If that violation is not remedied, PRTC will seek to suspend or terminator that customer’s service. 

In the event we take any congestion management actions, the vast majority of our users’ Internet activities will be unaffected. Some customers may, however, experience more extended download or upload times or slower surf speeds.

  1. Application-Specific Behavior: Except as may be provided elsewhere herein, PRTC does not currently engage in any application-specific network management activities on its network. Customers may use any lawful application as part of their Internet usage. 
  2. Device Attachment Rules: For best results, routers, wireless routers, or other proprietary network gateways used on the PRTC broadband network should be provided by PRTC. Customers may, however, utilize their own routers and/or attach their own devices to their routers, including laptops, desktop computers, video game systems, televisions, or other network-enabled electronics equipment. Customers are responsible for ensuring that their equipment does not harm Our network or impair the service of other customers. PRTC 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 PRTC’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.
  3. Network Security: PRTC knows the importance of securing its network and customers from network threats and annoyances. We promote the security of our network and our customers by protecting them from threats like spam, viruses, firewall issues, and phishing schemes.

As its normal practice, PRTC does not block any protocols, content or traffic for purposes of network management, but we may block or limit such traffic as spam, viruses, malware, or denial of service attacks to protect network integrity and the security of our customers. 

PRTC also deploys spam filters for its email service 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 spam files through the email program. Spam files are automatically deleted if not accessed in a timely  manner determined by PRTC. 

Customers also have the option to mark emails as spam, so future emails of that type will be sent to the junk folder. If using a 3rd party email client, this junk folder feature may be available, but not on every 3rd party client.

Network Performance  

  1. Service Descriptions 

All of PRTC’s service area receives the same technology or service. All internet services sold are sold as best effort. 

  1. Network Performance 

PRTC supports its advertised speeds and will dispatch repair technicians to customer sites to perform speed tests, as needed, to troubleshoot and resolve speed and application performance issues caused by our network. We measure availability, latency, and aggregate utilization on our network and strive to meet internal service level targets. 

However, the download or upload speeds for a particular distant website or other Internet resource are affected by factors beyond PRTC’s control, including the speed of the connection from a distant web server to the Internet, congestion on intermediate networks, and limitations on your computer equipment like your wireless router. In addition, your inside-premises wiring could affect service performance. Accordingly, consumers should consider the capabilities of their own equipment when choosing broadband service. You may need to upgrade your computers and other networks in your home or office to take full advantage of the chosen broadband plan. 

Upon request, PRTC tests each service for actual and expected access speeds at the time of network installation to demonstrate that the service can support the advertised speed. Customers may also test their actual speeds at 

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Commercial Terms 

  1. Pricing 

PRTC offers multiple levels of internet service, all available with no monthly data cap. The pricing and other terms for our different service offerings can be found on our website, www.progressivetel.com. Prices and packages are subject to change. 

  1. Privacy Policies 

PRTC values the privacy of our internet service customers. Like most companies, we collect certain information about our customers and use it to provide our services. We collect information when you interact with us, when you use our internet service, and when you visit our website. This information is used to deliver, provide, and repair our services, and to establish and maintain customer records and billing accounts. We protect the information we have about our customers and require those we share it with to protect it as well. PRTC does not sell, license, or share information that individually identifies our customers with others, without your consent, except as necessary when working with vendors and partners for business purposes and when necessary for them to do work on our 

behalf. Additional details about our privacy policy can be found by clicking on our website, www.progressivetel.com. 

  1. Redress Options 

We strive to provide excellent customer service and to resolve any issues promptly. If you have any questions or complaints regarding PRTC’s internet service, you may call (478)984-4201 or email us at prtc@progressivetel.com. PRTC takes all such questions and complaints seriously. 

In addition to this Network Transparency Statement, patrons may also find links to the  following on the PRTC Website: