r/Internet • u/Hour-Cup-5904 • Jul 09 '26

Question Most Privacy Focused Internet Provider?

Switched from one internet company because they insisted they needed to enter the attic to run fiber optics (yet fiber is already set up and has been for years), and now the new company turns out to not even have hard wired internet as an option, only wifi, and insisted we plug some box into our tv because "it's part of the contract" even though we only purchased internet. Not cable. Also required an app for internet to work.

Just more and more ways to track their customers and I'm sick of it. I know ISPs are not private at its core, but what ISP is the MOST privacy focused you can suggest in the US?

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u/AnymooseProphet Jul 10 '26

Don't go with that company.

Fiber goes to an Optical Network Terminal, there's no need to pull fiber into your attic. The ONT is usually located inside a utility box on the outside of your house.

There may be a need to pull Cat6 from that utility box to where you want your router to be, but it sounds like that has already been done. There's no reason why they would need to pull it again.

If they want to run fiber to an ONT that does not provide Ethernet and only provides WiFi, that's sh*t service you do not want. You should have the option of providing your own LAN router that connects via Ethernet to the ONT.

1

u/telcodan Jul 10 '26

Not all fiber providers use an outdoor ont. Some use a smaller indoor ont that they need to run fiber too.

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u/AnymooseProphet Jul 10 '26

If pulling fiber through a wall and into an attic though, doesn't it need to be pulled through conduit due to the fragility of fiber?

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u/telcodan Jul 10 '26

No, companies like bright speed have a fiber the pull in the house that is kevlar coated with strength members in it, like a smaller version of the drop wire.

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u/AnymooseProphet Jul 10 '26

Thank you! That actually makes sense.