Claims about misleading "unlimited" broadband promotions have been brewing for years, but a formal review by the advertising regulator could be about to put a cap on the practice.
This is likely to mean two things. Firstly, that fixed-line and mobile operators will not be able to use the term "unlimited broadband" unless they are offering a genuinely unlimited service – and that means nothing in the small print that lets the provider send warnings to customers if they reach a certain threshhold. A Which? study last year found that had happened to 11% of a base of 11,000 broadband users.
Which? also found that increased consuer use of multimedia services is making it harder for providers to keep up with demand.
Photo by Gavin St. Ours on Flickr. Some rights reserved
The second implication is for smartphone tariffs, which are now starting to specify data caps. O2 is ditching "unlimited" data plans with the launch of the iPhone 4 in the UK on 24 June, while Vodafone ditched the term last December, based on feedback ahead of its introductory iPhone tariff. O2 have insisted that only 3% of the heaviest data users will notice the "limited" tariffs and will have to pay a data charge top-up for usage over their tariff allowance.
The review is being led by the Advertising Standards Authority, reports New Media Age, which will work with two ad industry bodies to make a comprehensive assessment of industry claims and consumer complaints on both broadband speeds and "unlimited" tariff penalties.
