BT ad

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Read more! For those who thought my silent B in the headline of the last post was confusing and/or that it referred to the BT ad where consumers choose an ending, due to be aired on Wednesday 18th August 2010....

This blog post can be read at 5tth.blogspot.com

I think the news story you are looking for is this one.....BT ad viewers choose ending for TV advert

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Stop claiming you are all about fibre

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Read more! Geoff at App-Rising (see blogroll on the right) has posted about his feelings over the potentially false advertising claims being made by ISPs over the Pond about fibre in their networks.

We have blogged about this issue before too, and it really is time it is stamped on throughout the EU. (Vivien, are you listening?)

As consumers, we ought to be protected from such advertising (mal)practices by the ASA and the likes of Trading Standards, let alone Ofcom. However, this does not appear to be happening - see the comment on the previous post about BT attempting to deal with VM's ads and how they were allowed to stand ... But worse, it is lulling those in government and so on into a false sense of belief about what is actually on offer, and therefore continuing this mistaken opinion that UK is competitive in the broadband arena.

Education of those both in government and consumers should be reinforced by ISPs and telcos' advertising, not entirely undone by it. And let's not forget, this level of protection of the consumer (and the government is also a consumer) is Ofcom's statutory duty.
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Mother of all definitions

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Read more! Sussed it! If it is 'fibre outside, copper inside' you can call it next generation. Otherwise.... call it by its name. FTTC, ADSL2+, co-ax etc.

The next generation is fibre outside, copper inside, and no more BS is permitted. All telco marketers hereby take note. Us consumers are not up for being 'conned', treat us as halfway intelligent please ;o) and Ofcon, reinforce it. Tis so simple a code of practice.... Read more!

Oh dear. How long will this be allowed to continue?

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Read more! Virgin's new ad - The Mother of all Broadband is surely misleading customers?

Um, have I missed something? Isn't the old NTL network co-ax not fibre optic? I know the Telewest network that VM acquired was substantially FO but surely VM can't say that their network is FO? Or is there an 'up to' deception again? As in ' up to x% of our network is fibre optic'.

And 20Mbps is hardly 'the mother of all broadband'. What slick marketing device are they going to use when they finally get round to offering 100Mbps? Or 1Gbps? (which of course we know FO is perfectly capable of, even today).

And spot the No download limits, but an acceptable usage policy applies. So, there are download limits then. So, really it should say 'Limited downloads' because they are being limited.

The ISPs are not helping encourage users to start demanding FTTH and true broadband services if they perpetually mislead them into believing that what is on offer now is all bells and whistles, nor by this constant abuse of the English language. Nor do these type of adverts help the politicos, potential investors, and so on, understand what is going on.

C'mon Ofcom, at the very least insist on the correct use of language, and some honesty in these ads.

Remember your statutory duties:

Ofcom's Statutory Duties
Under the Communications Act 2003:

" 3(1) It shall be the principal duty of Ofcom, in carrying out their functions;
(a) to further the interests of citizens in relation to communications matters; and
(b) to further the interests of consumers in relevant markets, where appropriate by promoting competition"

Spot the important terms - citizens and consumers.





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