1. Purpose
This Acceptable Use Policy ("AUP") governs your use of Low Cost Fiber's internet services. This policy is designed to protect our network, our customers, and the broader internet community from abusive or illegal activities. By using our services, you agree to comply with this AUP. Violations may result in service suspension or termination.
2. Prohibited Activities
You may not use our services for any illegal, harmful, or abusive activities, including but not limited to:
Illegal Activities
- Any activity that violates federal, state, or local laws
- Distributing, downloading, or storing child sexual abuse material (CSAM)
- Trafficking in controlled substances or illegal goods
- Gambling in violation of applicable laws
- Money laundering or fraud
- Harassment, stalking, or threats of violence
- Copyright, trademark, or patent infringement
Network Abuse
- Launching denial-of-service (DoS) or distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks
- Port scanning, network probing, or vulnerability testing without authorization
- Packet sniffing or intercepting network traffic
- Attempting to gain unauthorized access to systems or networks
- Circumventing authentication or security measures
- Interfering with service to other customers
- Operating open proxies, open relays, or open recursive DNS servers
Email and Messaging Abuse
- Sending unsolicited commercial email (spam)
- Operating an email server without proper authentication and spam controls
- Email bombing or flooding
- Phishing, spoofing, or forging email headers
- Distributing malware, viruses, or ransomware via email
- Using stolen email lists or harvesting email addresses
Malicious Software and Security Threats
- Distributing viruses, worms, trojans, ransomware, or other malware
- Operating botnets or participating in botnet activities
- Cryptojacking or unauthorized cryptocurrency mining on other systems
- Hosting or distributing exploit kits
- Conducting phishing or social engineering attacks
Intellectual Property Violations
- Sharing copyrighted material without authorization
- Operating file-sharing services that facilitate piracy
- Distributing cracked software, keygens, or license circumvention tools
- Streaming copyrighted content without proper licensing
Excessive Use and Resource Consumption
- Using residential service for commercial purposes or business operations
- Reselling or redistributing internet access to third parties
- Operating a public Wi-Fi hotspot on residential service
- Excessive bandwidth consumption that negatively impacts other customers
- Running servers that generate sustained, excessive traffic (web, game, media servers)
Note: While we offer unlimited data, fair use applies. Consistent usage significantly exceeding typical residential patterns may be subject to review.
Content Violations
- Hosting or distributing content that promotes violence, terrorism, or hate speech
- Distributing obscene, defamatory, or libelous material
- Sharing private information without consent (doxxing)
- Hosting websites that facilitate illegal activities
3. Residential vs. Business Use
Our residential service plans are intended for personal, non-commercial use. Commercial activities require a business service plan. Examples of prohibited commercial use on residential accounts include:
- Operating a business from your home that relies heavily on internet connectivity
- Hosting public-facing web servers, email servers, or game servers
- Providing internet access to customers or clients
- Running a home-based data center or server farm
Occasional work-from-home use (video conferencing, file transfers, VPN access) is permitted on residential accounts.
4. Security Requirements
You are responsible for securing your network and devices. You must:
- Use strong, unique passwords for your Wi-Fi network and router
- Enable WPA2 or WPA3 encryption on your wireless network
- Keep your devices and software updated with security patches
- Use antivirus and anti-malware software
- Monitor your network for unauthorized access or unusual activity
- Disable remote management features unless necessary
- Not share your internet connection with unauthorized users
5. Copyright Compliance (DMCA)
Low Cost Fiber respects intellectual property rights and complies with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). If we receive a valid DMCA takedown notice alleging that your account is being used for copyright infringement:
- First notice: We will send you a warning and educational information
- Second notice: We may temporarily suspend your service and require acknowledgment of our policies
- Third notice: We may terminate your service
Repeat infringers may have their accounts permanently terminated. You may submit a counter-notice if you believe a DMCA claim was made in error.
6. Network Management
To ensure quality service for all customers, we employ network management practices including:
- Monitoring network traffic for security threats and abuse
- Blocking ports commonly used for malicious activity (e.g., port 25 for spam)
- Rate limiting or throttling traffic from compromised devices
- Filtering known malicious IP addresses and domains
- Managing congestion during peak usage times
We do not discriminate against lawful content, applications, or services. Network management is applied uniformly for security and performance purposes.
7. Enforcement and Violations
Investigation
We monitor our network for abuse and may investigate suspected violations of this AUP. We may review traffic patterns, respond to abuse complaints, and cooperate with law enforcement.
Notification
If we detect a violation, we will typically notify you via email or phone and request that you stop the prohibited activity. In some cases, we may take immediate action without prior notice.
Actions We May Take
Depending on the severity and nature of the violation, we may:
- Issue a warning and require corrective action
- Temporarily suspend service until the issue is resolved
- Permanently terminate service
- Report illegal activities to law enforcement
- Take legal action to recover damages
- Block specific protocols, ports, or IP addresses
Compromised Devices
If your device or network is compromised (infected with malware, part of a botnet, etc.), we may quarantine your connection until you clean your system. We will provide guidance on remediation steps.
8. Reporting Abuse
If you believe someone is violating this AUP or engaging in abusive behavior on our network, please report it to us:
Please provide as much detail as possible, including dates, times, IP addresses, and evidence of the abuse. All reports will be investigated promptly.
9. Customer Responsibilities
As a customer, you are responsible for:
- All activity that occurs through your internet connection
- Ensuring that all users of your connection comply with this AUP
- Securing your network and devices against unauthorized access
- Promptly addressing any abuse notifications we send you
- Monitoring your network for signs of compromise
- Keeping your contact information up to date
10. Cooperation with Law Enforcement
We cooperate with law enforcement agencies in investigating illegal activities. We may disclose customer information in response to valid legal process (subpoenas, court orders, search warrants) without prior notice to the customer. We may also report suspected criminal activity to appropriate authorities.
11. No Liability for User Content
Low Cost Fiber is a service provider and is not responsible for content transmitted over our network. We do not monitor or control user content and are not liable for any illegal, harmful, or offensive material transmitted by customers. We act solely as a conduit for internet communications.
12. Changes to This Policy
We may modify this Acceptable Use Policy at any time to address new threats, technologies, or legal requirements. Material changes will be posted on our website and sent to customers via email at least 30 days before taking effect. Your continued use of our services after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.