3 Mobile Removes “Unlimited” Advertising

Mobile broadband provider and telecoms giant 3 have become the second in their industry in the UK to remove the word unlimited from their promotional material and website when promoting packages that have an obvious data limit prescribed to them. O2 was the first company to do this a month ago, and other mobile providers may now follow suit.

The CEO of 3 Mobile UK described calling severely limited bandwidth services “unlimited” was “one of the dumbest things [he had] ever done.”

Now the word unlimited has been removed the actual data caps are now much more visible. If only more providers were willing to follow the example set by O2 and remove the word, placing their actual limits clearly and concisely along with all the other features of their packages rather than simply hiding behind jargon that only exists to confuse –even deceive – the consumer.

Of course, this new found hate for the word unlimited isn’t an entirely random occurrence. A report has been launched by the Advertising Standards Authority into the way broadband providers advertise their services. The report is looking into the language of such packages in detail, especially claims of unlimited usage and speeds that are often unobtainable for most users.

It’s not yet known when the final decision will be made by the ASA, but we hope the Authority remains resolute in protecting consumers from misleading claims about high speeds and no limit broadband when some providers offer anything but and hide the real service in the small print.

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