For many broadband Internet users, fully utilizing their connection is hampered by usage caps, which restrict how much data a user can send or receive in a given time frame (usually per month). With this in mind, many providers offer ways for users to get around these caps, usually through special plans or one-time increases in the cap. However, Exede has recently launched a service that offers more flexibility for heavy bandwidth users, particularly those who are nocturnal.
Known as the Late Night Free Zone, this service from Exede essentially turns off the meter in the late night hours. Since most users in any given time zone aren’t using the Internet after midnight, Exede allows users to use all the bandwidth they can handle between the hours of midnight and 5 AM, without restriction, for uploads and downloads. Even users who are under speed restrictions due to plan limitations can take advantage of the Free Zone, as Exede lifts those restrictions during the midnight-5 AM span. Furthermore, Internet use during those late-night hours isn’t counted against caps.
One not-so-obvious upside to having unlimited late-night speeds: Windows Update. By default, Microsoft sets Windows to reach out for updates at 3:00 AM, meaning any pipe-choking updates can be brought down when the bandwidth is unfettered.
Sounds like a good deal so far, right? One major disadvantage is that not all providers using the Exede service may allow users the chance to splash around in the Free Zone yet. Users who get their service from Exede directly, such as through ViaSat, already can take part, but for users who get their sweet, sweet Internet fix from DISH Network or other providers, such as local telecoms, will need to talk to those intermediaries directly and get the skinny on the Free Zone service.
Even so, if you’re getting your Internet service through Exede, or considering it, and you’re a happy night crawler over the Interwebs, getting your hands on the Late Night Free Zone service may turn out to be a boon, for both your surfing fix and your beleaguered bank account.