Fair Use Policy

1. Purpose of This Policy

This Fair Use Policy (“FUP”) sets out how Lebzology manages network resources to ensure fair, efficient, and high-quality internet access for all customers. It applies to all uncapped Home Fibre and LTE services offered by Lebzology.

The purpose of this policy is to:

• Ensure compliance with relevant laws of the Republic of South Africa
• Protect the integrity and performance of our network
• Specify what activities are considered unacceptable use of our services
• Outline the consequences of undertaking prohibited activities

By using our uncapped services, you agree to be bound by this policy in addition to our Terms of Service and Acceptable Use Policy.

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2. Definitions

For the purposes of this Fair Use Policy, the following terms have the meanings set out below:

• Throttling — The limiting of throughput for all services and protocols. A throttled connection will only achieve reduced speeds regardless of the subscribed package speed. Throttling is applied on an individual user basis, based on usage over a 30-day rolling window threshold.
• Shaping — The implementation of protocol-based priority to manage network demand. Real-time, interactive services (such as video calls and online gaming) are given higher priority over non-real-time services (such as file downloads and software updates), effectively slowing non-prioritised services during periods of high demand.
• Contention — The shared nature of network capacity. A significant rise in demand from multiple users can affect the bandwidth available to individual users. We manage contention through quality of service, shaping, and throttling measures.
• Peak Hours — Typically between 18:00 and 23:00, when network demand is at its highest.
• Off-Peak Hours — Typically between 00:00 and 06:00, when network demand is at its lowest.

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3. Home Fibre Fair Usage

3.1 General Principles

All Lebzology Home Fibre packages are uncapped, unshaped, and unthrottled under normal network conditions. There are no fixed monthly data thresholds, and you may use as much data as you like, whenever you like.

However, to protect the quality of service for all customers on our network, we reserve the right to apply shaping or throttling measures in the following circumstances:

• When network demand exceeds available capacity
• When a single user’s usage is disproportionately high and impacts the experience of other users
• During sustained periods of network congestion
• When usage patterns indicate commercial or reselling activity on a residential package

3.2 Fibre Usage Thresholds (Soft Limits)

While our Fibre services are truly uncapped, we monitor usage to identify patterns that may indicate abuse or commercial use. The following soft thresholds are used as guidelines for network management:

Package Speed	Guideline Threshold	Action if Exceeded
Up to 25Mbps	2 TB per month	May be subject to shaping during peak hours
Up to 50Mbps	3 TB per month	May be subject to shaping during peak hours
Up to 100Mbps	5 TB per month	May be subject to shaping during peak hours
Up to 200Mbps+	10 TB per month	May be subject to shaping during peak hours

3.3 Prohibited Uses on Fibre

Uncapped Fibre services are intended for home and personal use only. The following uses are strictly prohibited:

• Reselling our services or using home packages for business purposes
• Operating as a Wireless Internet Service Provider (WISP)
• Hosting shell accounts or providing network services to others
• Running private servers for mail, HTTP, FTP, IRC, or multi-user forums
• Providing email, news, download, VPN, or sandbox services to third parties
• Sharing your connection with neighbouring properties or commercial premises
• Running cryptocurrency mining operations or blockchain nodes
• Continuous unattended bulk data transfers or automated downloading

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4. Home LTE Fair Usage

4.1 General Principles

Unlike Fibre, Home LTE services operate over wireless spectrum that is shared among all users in a coverage area. To ensure fair access for everyone, all uncapped Home LTE packages are subject to monthly fair usage thresholds. Once a threshold is reached, your connection speed will be reduced for the remainder of the billing month.

4.2 LTE Usage Thresholds

The following fair usage thresholds apply to our uncapped Home LTE packages:

Package	Monthly Threshold	Speed After Threshold
LTE 20Mbps Uncapped	100 GB	Reduced to 4 Mbps
LTE 50Mbps Uncapped	150 GB	Reduced to 4 Mbps
LTE 100Mbps Uncapped	1 TB	Stepped reduction (see below)
LTE Wireless Plus	1 TB	Stepped reduction (see below)

4.3 Stepped Reduction (100Mbps & Wireless Plus)

For our higher-tier LTE packages, speed reductions are applied in steps as usage increases:

Usage Level	LTE 100Mbps Speed	LTE Wireless Plus Speed
0 – 250 GB	Full speed (up to 100 Mbps)	Full speed (up to 100 Mbps)
250 GB – 500 GB	Reduced to 20 Mbps	Reduced to 50 Mbps
500 GB – 1 TB	Reduced to 10 Mbps	Reduced to 20 Mbps
Above 1 TB	Reduced to 1 Mbps	Reduced to 4 Mbps

4.4 Network Shaping on LTE

In addition to the fair usage thresholds above, the underlying network provider may implement traffic shaping based on network congestion levels, particularly during peak hours (typically 18:00 – 23:00). This shaping may affect:

• Download and upload speeds
• Latency (ping times)
• Prioritisation of certain traffic types such as video streaming, file sharing, and peer-to-peer (P2P) traffic

All maximum speeds advertised (e.g. “up to 100Mbps”) represent theoretical maximum speeds achievable under optimal network conditions. The service is offered on a best-effort basis.

4.5 Prohibited Uses on LTE

Uncapped LTE services are intended for home and personal use only. The following uses are strictly prohibited:

• Reselling our services or using home packages for business purposes
• Operating as a Wireless Internet Service Provider (WISP)
• Hosting shell accounts or providing network services to others
• Running private servers for mail, HTTP, FTP, IRC, or multi-user forums
• Providing email, news, download, VPN, or sandbox services to third parties
• Using the SIM in non-approved devices or outside the registered service address
• Sharing your connection with neighbouring properties or commercial premises

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5. Network Management Practices

5.1 When Shaping and Throttling Are Applied

Shaping and throttling are applied only when demand on the network exceeds available capacity. They are not permanent restrictions and are relieved automatically when network demand decreases. This ensures that:

• Real-time services (video calls, gaming, streaming) remain usable during congestion
• All users receive a fair share of available bandwidth
• The network remains stable and reliable for everyone

5.2 Priority Traffic Classes

During periods of shaping, traffic is prioritised as follows (highest to lowest):

1. Real-time interactive: Voice over IP (VoIP), video conferencing, online gaming
2. Streaming media: Video streaming (Netflix, YouTube, Showmax), music streaming
3. General browsing: Web browsing, email, social media
4. Background transfers: Software updates, cloud backups, file downloads
5. Bulk data: Peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, torrents, large unattended transfers

5.3 Peak vs Off-Peak Usage

To help you get the most from your connection:

• Peak hours (18:00 – 23:00): Network demand is highest. Shaping may be more noticeable. We recommend scheduling large downloads and backups for off-peak hours.
• Off-peak hours (00:00 – 06:00): Network demand is lowest. You are likely to experience your full subscribed speeds with minimal or no shaping applied.

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6. Unacceptable Use

In addition to the prohibited uses listed above, the following activities are considered unacceptable use of Lebzology services and may result in immediate suspension or termination:

• Any activity that violates South African law, including child pornography, hate speech, or incitement to violence
• Any attempt to gain unauthorised access to our network or circumvent security measures
• Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, network flooding, or unauthorised network scanning
• Transmitting viruses, malware, trojans, or other harmful code
• Spamming, unsolicited bulk email, or operating mailing lists without recipient consent
• Any fraudulent activity, including phishing, pyramid schemes, or identity theft
• Copyright infringement, including illegal downloading or distribution of pirated content
• Any activity that threatens the functioning, security, or integrity of our network
• Using public platforms to defame, harass, or maliciously diminish the reputation of Lebzology or its staff

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7. Consequences of Policy Violations

If we determine that your usage violates this Fair Use Policy, we may take one or more of the following actions at our sole discretion:

• Warning: A formal notification advising you of the violation and requesting corrective action
• Shaping: Temporary reduction of speeds for specific traffic types or during peak hours
• Throttling: Reduction of overall connection speed for the remainder of the billing period
• Hard capping: Suspension of data access until the next billing cycle or until a top-up is purchased
• Service suspension: Temporary suspension of all services until the violation is resolved
• Account termination: Permanent termination of your account and services
• Recovery of costs: Charging administrative costs and recovery of machine and human time lost due to the violation

We will always attempt to contact you and provide an opportunity to rectify the situation before taking severe action, except in cases of illegal activity or imminent threat to network security.

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8. Monitoring Your Usage

You can monitor your data usage at any time through the Lebzology Client Portal. We also send automated notifications when you approach your fair usage threshold (for LTE packages) or when unusual usage patterns are detected.

To check your usage:

1. Log in to the Client Portal
2. Navigate to “Usage & Billing”
3. View your current month’s data consumption and remaining allowance

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9. Upgrading or Changing Your Package

If you consistently exceed the fair usage threshold on your current LTE package, you may wish to consider:

• Upgrading to a higher-tier uncapped package with a larger threshold
• Switching to a capped package with a larger data allocation
• Purchasing a business-grade service if your usage is commercial in nature

Package changes can be requested via the Client Portal or by contacting our support team. Changes typically take effect at the start of the next billing cycle.

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10. Changes to This Policy

Lebzology reserves the right to amend or alter this Fair Use Policy at any time. Material changes will be communicated to you via email or through the Client Portal at least 30 days before they take effect. Your continued use of our services after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

We may also adjust fair usage thresholds, shaping parameters, or network management practices in response to changes in network capacity, upstream provider policies, or regulatory requirements.

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11. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Fair Use Policy, believe your usage has been incorrectly flagged, or would like to discuss your options, please contact us: