Internet FAQs

Question: What am I able to do on the Internet within my usage parameters?

Answer: Each customer’s personal usage is highly variable. There are a number of “usage calculators” available on-line to help customers estimate their monthly usage.  You may also use GCI’s estimator below.

http://www.gci.com/internet/data-usage/how-big-is

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Question: How do I monitor my usage?

Answer: Customers will be able to monitor their usage online. Web page URLs will be available when the service is installed and are available on our web page under Customer Center.

DSL Answer: usage.unicom-alaska.com/CustomerPortal/login.pl?operator=uui

Wireless Answer: https://uui.usageviewer.com/login

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Question: Can I be notified if I am close to my usage limit?

DSL Answer: Notifications are sent to your e-mail address when you reach 80% and 100% of the megabytes included with your monthly plan.

Wireless Answer: UUI’s captive portal provides usage notifications at 80%, 100% and 120% of the megabytes included with your monthly plan, and usage will be throttled at 120%.

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Question: Can I set up my account to disallow further usage if I reach my limit?

DSL Answer: No, not at this time.

Wireless Answer: Not at this time.

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Question: How is my usage calculated and billed?

DSL Answer: All Internet access (downloading and uploading) through your username and password is counted. At the end of the month, if your usage exceeds the bytes included in your package, you are charged for excess usage.

Wireless Answer: All Internet access (downloading and uploading) through your WiFi access point is counted. At the end of the month, if your usage exceeds the bytes included in your package, you are charged for excess usage.

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Question: What will happen to my Internet service if there is a failure on the TERRA network (microwave or fiber)?

DSL Answer: If there is a failure on the TERRA network your Internet service via DSL will be interrupted until the failure can be repaired. Restoring service could take as long as two or three weeks.

Wireless Answer: There will a limited amount of satellite backup capacity for your wireless Internet service. If there is a failure on the TERRA network you may experience short outages, reduced speeds and higher latency on your Internet service.

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Question: What is Broadband? What is Broadband Internet Service?

Answer: Broadband Internet has no one definition. Some years ago “Broadband Internet” was Internet service with a minimum of 256 kilobits per second (Kbps) download speeds. Today many people expect Broadband Internet to offer speeds of 1 megabit per second (1 Mbps) download and 256 Kbps upload for communities served by satellite. For communities served by microwave or fiber, Broadband Internet is considered 4 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload speed.

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Question: What is the difference between DSL Internet and Wireless Internet?

Answer: Not much. DSL and Wireless are technologies that deliver Internet access from the Internet Service Providers (ISP) location to your home, office or business. Wireless requires antennas at both ends. DSL uses twisted pair wiring (like your telephone line) to connect you and the ISP.

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Question: What are the risks/concerns of using DSL access for Internet?

Answer: Generally DSL works well for Internet access. DSL service can be negatively impacted by: poor cooper wiring between the customer and the ISP; long distances (2 miles or greater) between the customer premise and the ISP. Sometimes DSL service can be negatively impacted by other equipment connected to the copper wiring at the customer’s premise.

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Question: What are the risks/concerns of using Wireless access for Internet?

Answer: Generally Wireless works well for Internet access. Wireless service can be negatively impacted by: obstructions (like buildings or trees) between the customer’s antenna and the ISP’s antenna. At times heavy rain or snow may cause interference with the service. Long distances between the customer’s premise and the ISP’s antenna can limit performance. There is also the possibility of interference with the WiFi signal from other equipment using the same frequencies.

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Question: What equipment is needed for DSL Internet?

Answer: UUI provides a DSL modem for the customer. If the customer does not return the modem they will be charged a $250 fee for the equipment. The DSL modem is installed, and plugged into power, inside the customer’s premise, then connected to United’s copper cable. The customer’s computer or router connects to the DSL modem.

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Question: What equipment is needed for Wireless Internet?

Answer: Customers purchase an integrated WiFi radio and antenna unit. This unit is mounted on the side of the customer’s home or roof and pointed in the direction of the ISP’s central antenna. A wire runs from the WiFi unit through the wall of the customer’s building. Inside the wire connects to a power connector and to the customer’s computer or router.

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Question: I currently have DSL with United, will my modem work with Wireless (WiFi) Internet?

Answer: No.  New equipment must be purchased for Wireless Internet service (not available in all locations).

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Question: Can I use my old GCI equipment?

Answer: GCI’s legacy WISP equipment is an older wireless protocol and equipment is no longer available from the manufacturer. GCI’s legacy WISP equipment is not compatible with the UUI Internet service and equipment.

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Question: Can I purchase my wireless Internet access equipment elsewhere?

Answer: No. In order to provide the wireless Internet access service, United has to provision (configure) the equipment before shipping it to our customers. We are unable to provision user provided equipment. The brand and model of equipment is important as we are able to perform certain performance testing with the equipment that we provide.

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Question: Do I need to be in the line of sight to the base station to get a wireless Internet (WiFi) connection?

Answer: Generally yes, best performance occurs when there is no obstruction between the two antennas. In some cases the connection can still work with signals reflected off of near-by buildings.

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Question: Why can’t I get a WiFi signal but my neighbor can?

Answer: It’s not possible to answer this question with a general answer. Every home, business, path, set of equipment is different. Any of the links of the chain may differ between two WiFi customers and cause one system to perform less than the other. It might be computer problems, cabling problems, radio/antenna problems, path problems (there is a space between the neighbor’s trees that allows the signal through), authorization issues, etc.

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Question: Will other wireless devices interrupt my Wireless Internet connection?

Answer: It is possible that other wireless devices can degrade or interrupt WiFi signals, such as vhf radios, microwaves or other routers on the same signal.

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Question: How many computers or electronics can I connect to my Wireless Internet?

Answer: One device (computer, router, etc.) can be connected to the WiFi radio/antenna. Only one IP address is provided. If you use a small office/home office router, you may be able to connect additional devices to your Wireless Internet service.

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Question: Is there a limited time to stay connected or can I stay connected 24/7?

Answer: Service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

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Question: What is the difference between Dialup, DSL and Wireless internet?

Answer: Dialup, DSL and Wireless are different access methods between the customers premise and the Internet Service Provider. Generally dial-up is the slowest with speed not exceeding 56 kilobits per second (Kbps).

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Question: My telephone wiring in my house is very old; will that affect my internet connection?

Wireless Answer: Your internal telephone wiring will not affect your Wireless Internet connection.

DSL Answer: Poor quality telephone wiring between the protector box (network interface device or NID) on the outside of your home and the DSL modem inside your home may negatively affect your DSL Internet connection. If you suspect your internal wiring is the issue, you should have new wiring installed between the NID and the location of your DSL modem.

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Question: What is internet usage?

Answer: Internet Usage is the amount of digital content transferred to and from your modem from within all of your devices connected to the internet within your home while you’re online. It is generally measured in megabytes (MB) or gigabytes (GB) and includes both information going up to the internet (uploading) and coming down from the internet (downloading). Different online activities consume different amounts of usage. Examples of high usage activities include downloading movies and streaming videos. Internet Usage also takes into account all devices connected to your Delta Cable internet service including desktops, notebooks, smart phones, tablet computers, iPods and gaming consoles.

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Question: What is the difference between download and upload?

Answer: Downloading is the act of receiving data from the Internet to your computer. Examples of downloading include, receiving email, surfing a website, streaming videos, or downloading files through file-sharing or P2P applications.

Uploading is the act of sending data from your computer to the Internet. Examples of uploading include: sending or replying to email, clicking links on a website, or posting files (such as images & videos).

Typically, customers download far more than they upload.

All advertised plan speeds are “up to” that speed.  Your plan speed is the maximum speed expected to be achievable for that plan. Several factors will affect the actual speed you experience. These factors include, but are not limited to: the capability of the device you’re using to access the Internet; the application and/or server/web site you are accessing; limitations of Wi-Fi and other equipment you may be using; other active users and/or devices on your home network at the same time; routers on the public Internet being over-loaded by high demand – particularly during peak hours of the day.

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Question: Will I be charged if I go beyond my monthly usage allowance?

Answer: Yes. Usage over your monthly usage allowance will be charged at $.0075 to $.022 per MB. depending on your Internet Plan.

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Question: What is my usage period and when will I be billed for additional usage?

Answer: Usage is calculated from the 1st to the 31st of each month, and will be billed on the next bill which is processed on the first of each month.

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Question: Can I carry over my usage from this month to the next?

Answer: No. Unused internet usage cannot be carried over. Your usage allowance applies to each month and is reset at the start of each calendar month.

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Question: Can I purchase more usage to increase my monthly usage allowance?

Answer: We do not sell additional usage upfront as we only bill for the usage once it has occurred.  If your usage plan does not meet your needs, you should contact us to upgrade your package.

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Question: How does the UUI (KUC) usage based billing plan compare with other internet service providers?

Answer: UUI’s decision to apply usage based billing (UBB) to Internet plans is similar to other ISPs and our plans are comparable to other rural Internet service providers in the state.

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