American Heartland Fiber Networks, LLC (DBA: E-vergent) – Network Management Policy

Download PDF of policy – HERE

Effective Date: November 20, 2011 (as required by FCC Open Internet Transparency Rules)

American Heartland Fiber Networks, LLC (DBA: E-vergent) ("E-vergent", "we," "our," or "us") provides this Network Management Policy ("Policy") in compliance with the Federal Communications Commission's ("FCC") Open Internet transparency requirements.

This Policy is intended to provide consumers with clear, accurate information regarding our network management practices, performance characteristics, and commercial terms so that residential and business customers may make informed choices about broadband Internet access services.

This Policy complements and forms part of E-vergent's Terms of Service and Acceptable Use Policy.

FCC Open Internet Principles

The FCC's Open Internet rules focus on the following four core principles:

  1. Transparency
    Broadband providers must publicly disclose accurate information regarding network management practices, performance characteristics, and commercial terms.
  2. No Blocking
    Fixed broadband providers may not block lawful content, applications, services, or non-harmful devices, subject to reasonable network management.
  3. No Unreasonable Discrimination
    Fixed broadband providers may not unreasonably discriminate in transmitting lawful network traffic.
  4. Reasonable Network Management
    Providers may engage in reasonable network management practices appropriate and tailored to achieving legitimate network management purposes.

Network Practices

Blocking

E-vergent does not block access to lawful content, applications, services, or non-harmful devices. Customers are free to access lawful websites and use lawful applications of their choosing, subject only to reasonable network management and applicable law.

Throttling

E-vergent does not throttle, degrade, or impair lawful Internet traffic based on content, application, service, user, or the use of non-harmful devices.

Affiliated Prioritization

E-vergent does not prioritize or favor traffic to benefit an affiliate, including through traffic shaping, prioritization, or resource reservation, except as required for reasonable congestion management.

Paid Prioritization

E-vergent does not engage in paid prioritization of Internet traffic.

Congestion Management

E-vergent reserves the right to employ fair-use traffic shaping mechanisms during periods of network congestion to ensure equitable access for all users.

Congestion management may occur in the following situations:

  • Within an individual customer's connection, or
  • At a shared access point or network node during periods of congestion.

These practices are:

  • Activated only when congestion is detected
  • Content-agnostic (no preference given to specific websites, services, or providers)
  • Designed to prevent a single user or application from consuming an unfair share of bandwidth

As a long-term strategy, E-vergent actively monitors network utilization and addresses congestion through network upgrades, capacity expansion, or corrective action as appropriate.

Application-Specific Behavior

E-vergent generally does not engage in application-specific traffic management. In limited congested situations, E-vergent may prioritize VoIP traffic to preserve call quality.

Device Attachment Rules

E-vergent does not prohibit customers from attaching lawful, industry-standard devices to its network, provided such devices do not harm the network or violate applicable policies.

Network Security

E-vergent secures its network infrastructure using industry-standard security practices, including access controls and encryption. E-vergent does not guarantee the security of customer devices or internal networks. Customers are responsible for securing their own equipment and data.

Performance Characteristics

Service Description

E-vergent provides broadband Internet access using:

  • Fixed Wireless platforms (including Cambium, Ubiquiti, and similar technologies), and
  • Fiber-optic infrastructure.

Internet connectivity is delivered via multiple geographically diverse fiber uplinks to Tier 1 and Tier 2 backbone providers, enhancing redundancy and reliability.

Speed and Latency

  • Access speeds vary based on the service plan purchased.
  • Typical latency to the Internet is 30 ms or less, making the service suitable for real-time applications such as VoIP and video conferencing.
  • Under normal operating conditions, customers can expect speeds close to their subscribed plan.

Actual performance may be affected by factors beyond E-vergent's control, including but not limited to:

  1. Customer device performance
  2. Local network configuration (Wi-Fi vs. Ethernet)
  3. Congestion at destination servers
  4. Website-imposed speed limits
  5. Internet routing conditions

Latency will vary depending on distance and the number of networks traversed; therefore, no single latency value can define overall user experience.

Impact of Specialized Services

E-vergent provides VoIP services. Each VoIP call typically consumes approximately 90 Kbps, which has a negligible impact on the customer's Internet experience.

Commercial Terms

Pricing

Pricing varies by location and service type. For current offerings, please contact:

  • Phone: 888-782-1454 | 262-884-2040
  • Email: sales@e-vergent.com

Privacy Practices

E-vergent:

  • Does not inspect Internet traffic except as necessary to mitigate denial-of-service attacks, abuse, or network security threats
  • Does not store browsing history
  • Uses traffic data solely for network management purposes
  • Does not sell or share customer data with third parties

Information is disclosed only when legally required pursuant to a valid subpoena or warrant.

Our full Privacy Policy is available on our website.

Redress Options

If you experience service issues or have questions regarding this Policy:

  • Contact support@e-vergent.com or call 888-782-1454 | 262-884-2040
  • Unresolved issues are escalated to management on a case-by-case basis

FCC Notice

Customers who believe E-vergent is not complying with FCC Open Internet rules may file an informal or formal complaint with the Federal Communications Commission pursuant to Part 76 of the FCC's rules.

Additional Disclaimers

Nothing in this Policy or the FCC's Open Internet Rules is intended to:

  • Prohibit reasonable efforts to address unlawful content or activities
  • Alter the legal status of cooperative anti-infringement efforts
  • Prevent enforcement of E-vergent's Acceptable Use Policy

For more information, please review our Acceptable Use Policy.