What impacts your data usage

Everything you do on the Internet consumes data. However, given the large data allowances of our Internet plans, you needn’t worry about activities like:

: If your existing Internet plan is delivering its stated speed but is still too slow for your needs, consider

upgrading your plan

.

Other activities, however, consume lots of data. To avoid overage charges, be aware of (all values approximate):

: Netflix usage includes using the Netflix app on Optik TV.

Watching Optik TV on your TV does not count as data. Specifically, the following do count as data use on your Internet connection when accessed via a PVR or digital box:

However, the Optik TV app and apps that run on Optik TV will contribute to your data usage. Apps on Optik TV include:

Streaming video is often the biggest contributor to Internet data usage. So understanding how it works is especially important.

Most video streaming services allow users to control video quality – which has a direct effect on data usage. Be aware of two factors:

With Netflix, your settings can only be adjusted on the

Netflix website

.

On YouTube, a quality selector tool appears directly below the video frame, as shown below, selecting a lower quality video stream will reduce your data usage.