Customer Agreements, Policies & Service Disclosures
Illinois Electric Cooperative strives to provide consumers with accessible, easy-to-understand information about the services we provide, so they can make informed decisions about which services best meet their needs. Consistent with that goal, we have designed this page to act as a single place where consumers and others can come to access and review the relevant policies, agreements, and other information about these services.
Additionally, the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) requires that Illinois Electric Cooperative and other providers of broadband internet access services disclose certain information regarding those internet services. We believe that all of the information required for disclosure under the FCC’s rules is found in the various policies and documents listed and linked on this page. To assist you in finding the information you’re looking for, we highlighted a few pieces of information that the FCC specifically calls for in the Overview section below.
Overview
Network Practices
The bullets below provide a general overview of Illinois Electric Cooperative’s network practices. Additional information, including more-detailed technical information, is available below.
Congestion Management
Illinois Electric Cooperative manages its network with one goal: to deliver the best possible broadband internet experience to all of its consumers. To further this effort, Illinois Electric Cooperative uses reasonable network management practices that are consistent with industry standards. Illinois Electric Cooperative uses various tools and techniques to manage its network, deliver its service, and ensure compliance with its Terms and Conditions. These tools and techniques are dynamic and can and do change frequently. One tool that Illinois Electric Cooperative currently employs is a congestion management system intended to ensure that all consumers have a fair share of access to the network. The congestion management system is explained in detail in this publication (http://maser.com.au/telecommunications/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/03/Congestion-management-datasheet-web.pdf).
Application-Specific Behavior
Illinois Electric Cooperative provides its consumers with full access to all the lawful content, services, and applications that the internet has to offer. Illinois Electric Cooperative does not block specific protocols or protocol ports (except to prevent spam, malicious attacks, and identity theft), does not modify protocol fields in ways not prescribed by protocol standards, and does not otherwise inhibit or favor certain applications or classes of applications except in the event that network segments see reduced throughput capacity constraints. In this instance congestion management practices will be utilized (as stated above) in a limited fashion to ensure that fair and equitable bandwidth is available for all users.
Device Attachment Rules
In order for a fiber or wireless access modem device to be approved for use on the network, it must pass UL certification, FCC certification, and Illinois Electric Cooperative device testing.See linked publications and corresponding test criteria (http://www.proxim.com/products/point-to-multipoint/tsunami-mp-10100-cpe-cpa, https://www.calix.com/platforms/non-exos-premises-systems/gigafamily-overview/GigaCenters.html).
Security
Illinois Electric Cooperative employs a number of practices to help prevent unwanted communications and protect the security of Illinois Electric Cooperative’s consumers and network. Illinois Electric Cooperative also provides a comprehensive suite of security capabilities such as spam filtering (https://antispam.roaringpenguin.com/canit/index.php). Illinois Electric Cooperative also provides alerts on its main home page to provide news and information on topics related to network security (https://www.e-co-op.com/).
Performance Characteristics
Service Description
Illinois Electric Cooperative provides a detailed summary of its internet service performance containing information about speed and latency, as well as other related topics (http://www.e-co-op.com/irtc-internet/Internet-Service-Performance). Illinois Electric Cooperative has always prided itself on providing state-of-the-art broadband services at the highest possible speeds. Recent testing performed by the FCC confirms that Illinois Electric Cooperative’s service is one of the fastest, most reliable broadband services in the United States (https://www.fcc.gov/reports-research/reports/measuring-broadband-america/measuring-fixed-broadband-report-2016). Illinois Electric Cooperative also provides a speed test page (http://68.69.32.18:5005/html/speedtest/index.html), so you can test your connection for yourself.
Other Services on Our Network
Illinois Electric Cooperative currently provides services using Internet Protocol (“IP”)-based technologies, and voice services using Voice over Internet Protocol (“VOIP”), to its consumers over the same physical network used to deliver broadband internet access service to residential and small and medium business consumers. Our IP and voice services, and our enterprise business services, are not provided over the internet but are provisioned with individualized service capacity and delivered over separate data transmissions using virtual local area networks (“VLAN”), where the voice services are marked for prioritization (to ensure that calls, e.g., 911 calls, go through even in times of congestion). These services are designed to protect the integrity and reliability of the internet service, which is delivered on a best-efforts basis.
Commercial Terms
Pricing and Other Fees
Illinois Electric Cooperative’s internet service may be subject to promotional rates. Additional fees, such as for equipment rental, installation, and early termination, may apply. For information about pricing and fees for Illinois Electric Cooperative’s various internet tiers of service and all its services, please visit the pricing page (https://www.illinoisnet.com/pricing).
Data Usage Plans
Illinois Electric Cooperative does not currently apply any “data caps,” usage thresholds, or any other form of usage-based billing (https://www.illinoisnet.com/pricing).
Privacy Policies
Illinois Electric Cooperative’s privacy policies with respect to internet service are explained in the Terms and Conditions page (https://www.illinoisnet.com/terms-and-conditions).
Redress Options
If you have any questions about these disclosures, cannot find what you are looking for, or have any other concerns about internet service, please contact Illinois Electric Cooperative customerservice@e-co-op.com. Illinois Electric Cooperative will review and promptly respond to all submissions.
