Suddenly slow home internet.

I was told by a support rep that Home Internet devices have the lowest priority on the network, so calls, texts, mobile data, and all other connected devices, like tablets, all have priority over Home Internet. For me, that means every day when all the schools around me let out, and all the kids get on their phones, I lose internet, sometimes right in the middle of a meeting. Then all through the evening, my internet connection comes and goes, making it almost impossible to watch tv (I do everything via streaming), and absolutely impossible to play any sort of online game. It's really very frustrating and I find it unacceptable that they basically refuse to do anything about it. The support rep I talked to confirmed that it was congestion on their network, but for some reason said he was sending me a replacement gateway (I'm pretty sure he was high) and the replacement I got is dirty and smells so bad I don't dare plug it in.