Bandwidth is the term use to describe the amount of data being transferred to or from a particular web site or web server. It is typically measured in some multiple of bits or bytes over a specified period of time, such as one second or one month. For example, it takes more bandwidth to transfer a 3D graphic image in one second than it does to transfer a 2-line email message in the same amount of time.

COGECO monitors the amount of traffic to and from all modems to identify excess usage patterns that cause harm to the COGECO network and to COGECO's subscribers. The current limits vary depending on the High Speed internet package, within one month.

The difference between uploading and downloading is as follows:

Uploading is traffic from your computer to Internet, such as uploading files to a remote FTP site or web site.
Downloading is traffic from Internet to your computer, such as downloading files from a remote FTP site or web site.
If you subscribe to our Residential Internet Service, we expect a lot of downloading from our users and have designed our network to accommodate an emphasis on downstream traffic. Unfortunately, a very small percentage of users host unauthorized services such a anonymous FTP or warez servers or make excessive use of file sharing applications to the point of placing an unnecessary burden on the COGECO network and, more importantly, on its subscribers.

If you are found to be exceeding the prescribed limits, you may be charged for both upstream and/or downstream traffic. These charges are not a penalty; we want you to use all the bandwidth you need but our operational costs are directly tied to our aggregate bandwidth usage and we strive to pass those expenses on in a fair and equitable manner. If you feel that the bandwidth you are currently using is necessary for you daily operations we suggest you review some of our business tier products which may provide the bandwidth allotment you need.

For more information on Bandwidth and Storage capacity, please refer to the High Speed Internet Service Acceptable Use Policy.

For tips on how to reduce unnecessary bandwidth usage, click here.