Video killed the radio star. Don’t let it kill your broadband business.
You see it happening. Customers are staying online longer and watching more video. It’s not just short clips on YouTube or Facebook anymore. It’s full-length TV shows and movies from sites like Hulu, Netflix and Amazon. It’s not just a handful of young folks sitting in front of a PC, or the occasional video pioneer streaming to their TV using bleeding-edge technology and duct tape. Blu-ray players, gaming consoles and boxes like Roku make it relatively easy now for the average subscriber to watch Internet video on their big-screen TV from their big, comfy couch. And let’s not forget about smart TVs. That’s not an oxymoron. We’re talking about tens of millions of sets shipping this year that can connect to the Internet right out of the box. Scary, huh? Especially when you don’t have a way to automatically and fairly enforce policies for broadband usage management.
It’s time to get out in front of this trend. It’s time to consider broadband usage management to better control costs, including usage caps and tiered pricing plans that are based on bandwidth use. But, how will you set customer expectations and enforce those policies? Don’t panic. We can help.
ZCorum has developed Broadband Policy Enforcer (BPE) to help you implement broadband usage management in a “net-neutral” way by communicating with customers as they reach bandwidth thresholds, and then fairly enforcing bandwidth usage limits based on your policies.
What can you do with BPE? Here’s a quick rundown:
Enforce Bandwidth Caps
The BPE system tracks individual bandwidth use and automatically redirects subscribers to a notification page in their browser when they get close to a usage threshold. It can also take action when a usage cap is reached–either throttling the speed until the end of the month or temporarily suspending the account. You choose the bandwidth caps and what action is taken (if any), as well as the message the customer receives when a threshold is reached.
Control Network Abuse
Broadband Policy Enforcer also helps you stay on top of network abuses like spam, copyright violations, viruses, and security issues. When you place an account on hold for a specific violation, the customer is told what they need to do to reactivate their account. Once the account is removed from hold, the BPE system resets their modem and the customer can access the Internet once again.
Deactivate Unpaid Accounts
Communicating with customers about unpaid accounts is no longer a hassle. Simply flag an account as unpaid. The BPE system will place the customer’s broadband account on hold and they’ll be given specific instructions on how to reactivate their account (like say, pay their bill!).
More Great Features:
Custom Throttle Levels
Bandwidth configurations in BPE are flexible, and support custom throttle levels based on the customer’s package.
Silent Throttle
BPE has a “Silent Throttle” mode that can reduce the speed of a subscriber’s account without notifying them when that has occurred.
Detailed Reporting
You’ll get daily reports showing which subscribers have been notified of policies or had action taken, and why.
Customer Support
We can help you determine your bandwidth caps, customize your notifications and make recommendations on what actions to take as you introduce BPE in your market.