PRTC Keeping You Connected

Piedmont Rural Telephone Cooperative (“PRTC” or “Company”) provides this Policy in order to disclose its network management practices in accordance with the FCC’s Open Internet Rules. Information about PRTC’s other policies and practices are available at www.PRTCnet.com (“PRTC Website”).

PRTC manages its network to ensure that all of its customers experience a safe and secure broadband Internet environment that is fast, reliable and affordable. PRTC wants its customers to indulge in all that the Internet has to offer, whether it is social networking, streaming videos and music, to communicating through email and videoconferencing.

In addition to this Network Management Policy, patrons may also find links to the following on PRTC’s website:

• Frequently Asked Questions
• Acceptable Use Policy

PRTC’s Network Management Practices

PRTC uses various tools and industry standard techniques to manage its network and deliver fast, secure and reliable Internet service. Such management tools and practices include the following:

1. Managing Congestion

   PRTC continuallymonitors the connections on its network in the aggregate to determine the rate of utilization. If congestion emerges on the network, PRTC will engage in the re-routing of Internet traffic to relieve congestion. In order to reduce instances of congestion, PRTC adds capacity to its network when utilization has reached a level of at least 80%. On our core and access networks, PRTC may increase capacity by adding nodes, transport links, Internet aggregation routers and bandwidth, as needed.

   On PRTC’s network, all customers have access to all legal services, applications and content online.In the event of congestion, some customers may experience longer download or upload times, or slower surf speeds on the web.

   Customers who abuse or threaten PRTC’s network or which violates the Company’s Acceptable Use Policy or Internet service Terms and Conditions will be asked to stop any such use immediately. A failure to respond to or cease any such conduct could result in service suspension or termination.

   PRTC’s network and congestion management practices are ‘application-agnostic’, based on current network conditions, and are not implemented on the basis of customers’ online activities, protocols or applications.

2. Network Security

   PRTC knows the importance of securing its network and customers from network threats and annoyances. The company promotes the security of its network and patrons by providing resources to its customers for identifying and reporting such threats as spam, viruses, firewall issues, and phishing schemes. PRTC also deploys spam filters in order to divert spam from an online customer’s email inbox while allowing the customer to control which emails are identified as spam.

   As its normal practice, PRTC does not block any protocols, content or traffic for purposes of network management except that the company 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.

   Except as may be provided elsewhere herein, PRTC does not currently engage in any application-specific behaviors nor does it employ any device attachment rules for its network.

3. Technology

   PRTC’s network management employs a variety of industry-standard tools, applications and devices to monitor, secure and maintain its network. PRTC uses Cacti network management software to monitor aggregate traffic usage.

4. Monitoring Schedule

   PRTC uses network management software to conduct periodic monitoring of the network in order to detect abnormal traffic flows, congestion, network security breaches, malware, loss, and damage to the network.

5. Network Performance

   PRTC makes every effort to support advertised speeds and will dispatch repair technicians to customer sites to perform speed tests as needed to troubleshoot and resolve speed and application performance caused by PRTC’s network. PRTC measures availability, latency, and aggregate utilization on the network and strives to meet internal service level targets. However, customer’s service performance may also be affected by one or more of the following: (1) the particular websites being accessed; (2) capacity in the public Internet beyond PRTC’s network; (3) customer’s computer and equipment (including wireless router); and (4) inside wiring at customer’s premise.

   PRTC is in the process of developing additional systems that will allow us to measure these indicators out to test points at each major network aggregation site on the edge of our last mile network. Once these systems are developed, PRTC will be able to measure system metrics on a network-wide basis and will disclose the results on its website.

6. Specialized Services

   Company does not currently offer any specialized services. Accordingly, customers’ broadband experiences will not be impacted.

7. Commercial Terms

   A description of PRTC’s service offerings and rates may be found on PRTC’s website at the following link: www.PRTCnet.com PRTC’s Privacy Policy may be found on PRTC’s website at www.PRTCnet.com.

   For questions, complaints or requests for additional information, please contact PRTC at 864-682-3131.