Direct offers various internet service packages. See Direct’s website register.directcom.com for more information regarding packages and pricing or call customer service at 1-207-948-3900 or 1-888-682-3207.

Direct Communications monitors its network performance to ensure customers receive maximum performance. All internet service is provided on a “best efforts” basis, which means the service is advertised as “up to” a certain speed. Based on our testing and maintenance, we find that most customers can expect to receive speeds ranging from 85% to 100% of the “up to” advertised speed, 10ms of latency (on our network) and <1% of packet loss. However, there are many factors outside of our control that can influence the performance characteristics of your internet service including but not limited to: 1) customer location, 2) condition of the wiring inside your house, 3) the age of equipment you use to access the internet (modems and/or routers, computers, handheld devices etc.), 4) the performance of a particular website you are accessing, and 5) the configuration of your WiFi router and your proximity to it.
Direct Communications’ customers have a variety of High-Speed Internet solutions that may vary by price, location, and facility availability. Direct Communications Network designs are engineered and implemented to ensure that our customers can enjoy the speeds obtainable for the subscribed package and the customers physical location. However, due to several factors we do not guarantee that a customer will achieve those speeds at all times. Direct Communications’ advertised speeds are “up to” a specific level based on the subscriber’s service package. If a customer wishes to subscribe to a guaranteed speed, Direct Communications can offer other products that provide speed assurances and Quality Of Service (QOS) guarantees. The “actual” speed that a customer will experience while using the Internet may vary due to a variety of circumstances and or conditions, many of which are beyond Direct Communications’s control. These conditions include but are not limited to the following:
The customer’s computer due to its age, processing capability, operating system, applications running on the system and the presence of any viruses and or spyware.
The type of network beyond Direct Communications’s demarcation device a customer’s computer is connected to. For example, wireless connections are not as robust as hardwired connections into a router or modem. Wireless connections also may be subject to greater fluctuations, interference, type of wireless and congestion.
The distance packets travel (round trip time of packets) between a customer’s network and its final destination on the Internet. The Internet is a web of interacting networks. A customer’s connection may travel the networks of numerous other providers before reaching the destination. The limitations and oversubscriptions of those networks will most likely affect the speed of that Internet connection.
The capacity and or speeds of destination websites are sometimes controlled in order to contain traffic or ensure performance. Many websites limit the speeds at which a visitor can download from their site in order to ensure all customers receive the same experiences. Those limitations will carry through to a customer’s connections within the Direct Communications’s network.
Commercial Terms

Direct Communications manages its network with one goal: to deliver the best possible broadband Internet experience to all of its customers. High-speed bandwidth and network resources are not unlimited. Managing the network is essential to promote the use and enjoyment of the Internet by all of our customers. We use reasonable network management practices that are consistent with industry standards. We also try to use tools and technologies that are minimally intrusive. Just as the Internet continues to change and evolve, so too will our network management practices to address the challenges and threats on the Internet.

All Internet service providers need to manage their networks and Direct Communications is no different. In fact, many of them use the same or similar tools that Direct Communications does. If we didn’t manage our network, our customers would be subject to network congestion and degradations of the service. By engaging in reasonable and responsible network management, Direct Communications can deliver the best possible Internet experience to all of its customers.

Direct Communications uses various tools and techniques to manage its network, deliver its service, and ensure compliance with the Acceptable Use Policy and the Customer Agreement for Residential Services available here. These tools and techniques are dynamic, like the network and its usage, and can and do change frequently

Yes. The Internet is highly dynamic. As the Internet and related technologies continue to evolve and advance, Direct Communications‘ network management tools will evolve and keep pace so that we can deliver an excellent, reliable, and safe online experience to all of our customers. We will provide updates here and in other appropriate locations if we make important or significant changes to our network management techniques.

Congestion Management: Direct Communications monitors the connections on its network in the aggregate on a daily basis to determine the rate of utilization. If congestion emerges on the network, Direct Communications will take the appropriate measures to relieve congestion. On Direct Communications network, all customers have access to all legal services, applications and content online and, in the event of congestion, most Internet activities will be unaffected. Some customers, however, may experience longer download or upload times, or slower surf speeds on the web if instances of congestion do occur on Direct Communications network. Customers using conduct that abuses or threatens the Direct Communications network or which violates the company’s Acceptable Use Policy, Internet service Terms and Conditions, or the Internet Service Agreement will be asked to stop any such use immediately. A failure to respond or to cease any such conduct could result in service suspension or termination. Direct Communications’ network and congestion management practices are ‘application-agnostic’, based on current network conditions, and are not implemented on the basis of customers’ online activities, protocols or applications. Direct Communications’s network management practices do not relate to any particular customer’s aggregate monthly data usage. Direct Communications monitors its network on a regular basis to determine utilization on its network. Direct Communications also checks for abnormal traffic flows, network security breaches, malware, loss, and damage to the network. If a breach is detected or high-volume users are brought to light by complaint, Direct Communications provides notification to the customer via email or phone. If a violation of Direct Communications’s policies has occurred and such violation is not remedied, Direct Communications will seek to suspend or terminate that customer’s service.

No. Direct Communications does not block any traffic or applications like BitTorrent, Gnutella, or others as part of its current network congestion management technique. If we receive a copyright violation complaint we will provide notification to the customer via email or phone and give them a chance to resolve the issue. If we received additional copyright violations for the same customer we will seek to suspend or terminate that customer’s service.

No. Direct Communications provides its customers with full access to all the lawful content, services, and applications that the Internet has to offer.

Yes. As described above, Direct Communications employs a number of practices to help ensure the proper functioning of the network. Direct Communications limits logins and monitors for Denial of Service (DoS) attacks. We do not disclose the exact rate limits in order to maintain the effectiveness of these measures, which ensure that these critical services are available for all of our customers. In the event that a DoS attack is detected we will use mitigation techniques including null routing and Remote Triggered Blackhole to limit the impact to customers.

Go to the page at Contact Us for more information about contacting Direct Communications Customer Service.