Broadband slight of hand

Much is made of broadband providers who mislead customers over maximum bandwidth... ads such as “up to 8Mbps” come to mind and despite TV and magazine campaigns we don’t seem to be getting anywhere in forcing providers to be more precise. But is it just me or do people find the term “unlimited use” equally offensive and misleading? The dictionary definition of the term is “without limits or bounds” and yet it seems that many providers have not read a dictionary recently.

As an example, I’ve just entered into a two-year contract with Orange for my iPhone – and when I spoke to them on the phone, I was assured of unlimited broadband – I asked for confirmation – yes this was UNLIMITED use. Indeed if you look QUICKLY at their advertising it also says “Unlimited Mobile Internet” but like so many other providers what they offer is nothing like unlimited. Their “fair use policy” in much smaller lettering than the above, states that “fair use” policies of 750MB per month apply not only to their mobile browsing but also to their BT Openzone offering.

I’m sure everyone reading this is internet-savvy enough to know that 750MB can easily be eaten up in a day if you try hard enough, never mind a month. Of course I’m giving Orange merely as an example.. they are not alone. As more and more of us get not only our emails on mobile phones but also our news and entertainment, what is just passable now will soon be completely inadequate, with more and more providers offering streaming TV, radio and more via mobile phones.

 
Advertising tricks like this are misleading and confusing as is “up to 8PM” and it is about time that Ofcom put a stop to it. In the case of broadband speeds, perhaps providers should be forced to quote AVERAGE broadband speeds – that would make comparisons interesting – and if downloads are limited – the package should clearly state at the top... “Limited use allowed”. Most SMEs out there have enough on their plates without having to deal with providers trying to mislead us with word-play.