The following applies to customers on ''Plus'' Internet plans*.

*Excludes Fargo, ND / Odessa, TX / Emporia, KS. Fargo, ND, Odessa, TX and Emporia, KS customers, please click HERE to view the Data Plan FAQ for this area.

Customers have a number of different options to choose from when looking to receive internet service from Sparklight. We now offer plans that allow a customer to add Unlimited Data to their plan.

Q: How are the Plus Plans different than the old plans offered?
A: With our new Plus Plans, customers are still able to pick a plan suited to their data and speed needs, and customers are now able to add unlimited data to their plan. Customers who exceed their included data plan are automatically provided additional 100GB blocks of data.

Q: What if I go over my data plan?
A: If you exceed your data plan, you will automatically be provided an extra 100GB data at a cost of $10 to be used during your data period. Each additional 100GB data will be automatically added, up to a maximum of $50 per data period.

An unlimited option is available for most Plus plans.

Q: How does the Unlimited Data option work?
A: Customers can elect to add Unlimited Data for an additional charge of $40/mo to any Plus Plan 100Mbps or greater. When there is network congestion impacting fellow subscribers, or when your own data usage exceeds 5TB, your data speeds may be slowed to 10Mbps x 1Mbps until the end of your data period.

Q: What is a data period?
A: A data period is the dates which Internet usage is counted for your data plan and is different than your billing period:

Q: I am a current customer. Is my plan changing?
A: Current customers will be grandfathered in under the current Packaging, Pricing, and Data Plan Options. They can, however, choose to change their current plan to one of our new PLUS plans.

Q: Will Sparklight alert customers when their remaining data usage allocation is exceeded?
A: Sparklight will notify you when you exceed your data usage plan. Our customers also have the option to Opt-In to data usage alerts when they reach 75%, 95%, and 100% of your data usage. Click HERE for directions on how to enable these notifications.

The best way to be aware of your bandwidth is to check your bandwidth usage periodically in your online customer account.

Note: The in-browser alert message will only be displayed within a web browser (Example: Internet Explorer). The alerts will NOT display through items such as video streaming or online games.

Q: How will I know the amount of data usage I have used during the current billing cycle?
A: Sparklight has a personalized section in your online customer account, which will give you up-to-date, detailed information on your daily and monthly data usage. This is available by logging into you Customer Portal.

Q: What is and is not counted towards the data usage?
A: Any task using the Internet is counted. This includes checking email, surfing the Internet, uploading and downloading documents, pictures and files, downloading and streaming music and movies, gaming, online chat, visiting social media sites, and VOIP telephone service. Sparklight Phone service data is not counted as part of data usage.

Q: What is a usage meter?
A: A usage meter is a program used to measure the amount of data you are using and is available to you 24/7. You can view this usage meter in your online customer portal.

Q: What is a data plan and why do you have them?
A: A High Speed Internet data plan is a set amount of data or Internet usage you are provided each billing cycle. Data plans offer an initial allocation of service "bytes" which is replenished each billing cycle. Bytes are the units by which Internet usage is measured. How often our customers use the Internet and what they use the Internet for varies greatly. Our customers find our High Speed Internet data plan extremely generous. Monthly plans more fairly reflect how our customers are using their services and help Sparklight maintain competitive monthly rates for all our customers.

Q: How do I know that my usage is being gathered accurately?
A: Data collection is gathered using an industry-standard protocol called IPDR (Internet Protocol Detail Record). IPDR is a software-based technology that counts data usage on a per-subscriber basis using the customer's cable modem MAC address. Since a MAC address is used to collect data usage, upstream and downstream data usage for any device(s) connected through or to the modem is collected.

NetForecast is a 3rd party company that independently audits the accuracy of Internet Service Providers' data usage meters, drawing on a decade of experience auditing meters for ISPs serving 80% of US wireline Internet customers.

NetForecast performed active reference tests on Sparklight's broadband internet in which a NetForecast PC and server generated the only traffic on dedicated test lines. NetForecast performed independent traffic measurements, obtained hourly usage meter records from Sparklight for each location, and compared NetForecast's measurements with Sparklight's records.

Netforecast recently released a report validating the accuracy of Sparklight's broadband data usage meter system. According to the president of NetForcasting, Peter Sevcik, it was determined that Sparklight's meter is accurate and better than the industry standard.

You can view the complete report HERE

Q: What are some tips for reducing my bandwidth usage for my high-speed internet service?
A: Verify that your wireless Cable Modem is pre-secured with a password. Please be mindful when providing this password to other residents that each device that connects will be using additional bandwidth. If you are unsure if your wireless security information, please view the following article for further detail:
Locating Wireless Security Key

Bandwidth usage is directly affected by the video quality of each program used. For example, watching a movie in high definition will use more bandwidth than watching a movie in standard definition. Depending on your preferences, you may want to consider limiting your viewing experience to a lower quality. This will limit the amount of bandwidth the video will consume. The following links from some major 3rd party streaming providers include information and tips on managing the video quality for their service.

Note: Most providers will have similar quality settings, though you may need to check with your specific provider for additional details if it is not listed below.

Netflix

Hulu

YouTube

Q: What is a gigabyte?
A: A gigabyte (GB) is a measure of data storage capacity. It is roughly equal to a billion bytes. For a better understanding of how much usage 1 GB is, please try our Usage Calculator. This will give you a good estimate of how much data several types of activity will consume. However, each service can have a different level of optimization than our estimates provide, and your total usage may vary.

Q. What can 300GB get you?
A. 300GB can get you a number of different things. Check out the image below for some comparisons!