Cox Communications, Rhode Island’s leading Internet provider, plans to prioritize certain types of Internet usage during periods of heavy traffic, the company announced last week.

The new system for managing data traffic on Cox’s network will begin operating in parts of Kansas and Arkansas on Feb. 9. If it works successfully there, the system is expected to be expanded to all markets, including Rhode Island, later this year, Cox said...

...“During the occasional times the network is congested, this new technology automatically ensures that all time-sensitive Internet traffic – such as Web pages, voice calls, streaming videos and gaming – moves without delay,” the new policy states. “Less time-sensitive traffic, such as file uploads, peer-to-peer and Usenet newsgroups, may be delayed momentarily – but only when the local network is congested.”