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Articles for Category Tag - Advertising Standards

Price rise uk broadband and mobile households by 123rf

2025 Broadband Price Hikes and the Impact of Ofcom’s New UK Policy

28th December, 2024 (45 Comments)

On 17th January 2025 Ofcom will begin enforcing a ban on mid-contract price hikes that are linked to inflation and percentage changes (here), but this doesn’t extend to many existing broadband contracts. Consumers on bigger ISPs may thus find themselves being divided between two different pricing policies, and one is going to hurt your wallet more than the other.

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Ofcom Report 506,000 UK Homes Now Take Social Broadband Tariffs

12th December, 2024 (0 Comments)

The UK telecoms regulator has today published their annual 2024 Pricing Trends Report, which among other things confirms that the take-up of cheaper social broadband ISP and mobile tariffs for those on state benefits has jumped to 506,000 customers in June 2024 (up from 380,000 in Sept 2023). But that’s still just 9.6% of eligible households (e.g. those on Universal Credit).

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Ads Watchdog Updates UK Guidance on Mid-Contract Broadband Price Hikes

29th November, 2024 (11 Comments)

The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has today updated their guidance for how broadband ISPs, phone, pay TV and mobile operators should communicate mid-contract prices hikes to consumers. The change is primarily intended to align their policy with Ofcom’s imminent ban on mid-contract price hikes that are linked to inflation and percentage changes.

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Survey Warns Some UK ISPs Continue to Mislead by Advertising Copper Broadband as Fibre

19th November, 2024 (12 Comments)

A new YouGov survey conducted by network operator AllPoints Fibre, which is the UK wholesale division of Fern Trading’s recently consolidate alternative FTTP broadband ISP networks (Giganet, Jurassic Fibre, and Swish Fibre), claims to have found that the “vast majority of people” (72%) think it’s “misleading” to advertise part-copper broadband (e.g. FTTC) as ‘fibre’.

ASA Ban Ads for Major UK Telecoms Providers Over Misleading Price Hikes UPDATE

9th October, 2024 (9 Comments)

The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has today banned a series of website-based adverts for major broadband ISPs and mobile network operators, including BT, EE, Plusnet, TalkTalk, O2 and Virgin Media, after the way they all presented their annual mid-contract price hikes was found to be “misleading“.

ASA Bans NOW TV Advert Over Lack of Clarity for Significant Conditions

25th September, 2024 (3 Comments)

The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned a website ad for Sky’s broadband ISP and subscription-based TV streaming sub-brand, NOW TV (NOW Broadband), after it failed to make clear the “significant conditions” of its free trials, which would automatically auto-renew at a fee.

ASA Bans Vodafone UK Broadband Ads After Rival ISP BT Complains UPDATE

18th September, 2024 (25 Comments)

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned several Vodafone broadband adverts after BT lodged complaints, which claimed that the ISP was being “misleading” by claiming that customers could “switch from BT to Vodafone and get the same broadband for less” (emphasis on the “same broadband” part). But that wasn’t the only issue.

New Ofcom Rule on Misleading “Fibre” Terminology Puts Spotlight on Ads Watchdog

17th September, 2024 (15 Comments)

The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has told ISPreview that they’re “keeping a watching brief” on how Ofcom’s recent move to clampdown on confusing uses of “fibre” terminology (here) may impact their own guidance on advertising claims. But at present, the ASA and Ofcom’s position still appear to be in some conflict.

Ofcom UK to Enforce Rules on Misleading Use of “Fibre” Broadband UPDATE

15th September, 2024 (68 Comments)

The UK telecoms and media regulator, Ofcom, will tomorrow begin enforcing new rules that will only allow broadband ISPs to use terms like “fibre” and “full-fibre” on their websites, and in contracts, if their network brings the fibre optic cables all the way to your home (i.e. FTTP, FTTH and also FTTB).

NOW TV Ad Banned for Failing to Make Clear that Plans Included Ads

31st July, 2024 (1 Comment)

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned a website advert for internet streaming and broadband provider NOW TV (aka – NOW Broadband), which is a sibling of Sky UK, after it was found to have failed to clearly set out that their basic TV plans (subscriptions) included ads (unless you paid extra for the ‘Boost’ upgrade).

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Ofcom UK Approve Plan to BAN Some Mid-Contract Broadband Price Hikes UPDATE2

19th July, 2024 (25 Comments)

The UK telecoms regulator, Ofcom, has today finalised their earlier proposal to BAN phone, mobile, pay TV and broadband ISPs from doing mid-contract price hikes that are linked to inflation and percentage changes. The plan is to introduce this change from 17th January 2025, before the next round of annual price increases typically hit.

ASA Ban Misleading Full Fibre Claim from UK Wireless ISP 6G Internet

6th March, 2024 (14 Comments)

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned another advert for UK fixed wireless broadband ISP 6G Internet (IX Wireless), albeit this time for sending out a “misleading” leaflet promotion that claimed the provider offered “Full Fibre Speed Broadband” (Full Fibre is a term that’s typically only be used by FTTP networks).

New Data Indicates Sharp UK Decline in Broadband ISP Switching

1st March, 2024 (17 Comments)

A new study by Broadband Genie, which harnesses data from actual consumer migrations, has claimed that there was a decrease of 38% in broadband ISP switches during the period of 15th December 2023 to 12th February 2024 and as a result UK bill payers are estimated to be £53m worse off in lost savings.

ASA Bans Zzoomm Broadband Ad Over Misleading Savings Claim

10th January, 2024 (10 Comments)

The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has today banned a direct mailing advert for alternative full fibre network and ISP Zzoomm, which compared their 150Mbps broadband package with BT’s 35Mbps Fibre 1 service, after it was found to have contained “misleading” savings claims.

ASA Enforce New Mid-Contract Price Hike Rules for UK Broadband ISPs

14th December, 2023 (8 Comments)

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) will tomorrow officially begin to enforce new guidance for how UK broadband ISPs and mobile network operators should communicate mid-contract prices hikes to consumers, which could make such policies clearer and more transparent. But it arrives as Ofcom move (here) to ban the practice.

New Ofcom UK Rules to STOP Misleading Use of “Fibre” Broadband UPDATE

13th December, 2023 (57 Comments)

The UK telecoms, media and internet content regulator, Ofcom, has today introduced new guidelines that will effectively only allow broadband ISPs to use terms like “fibre” and “full-fibre” on their websites, and in contracts, if their network brings fibre optic cables all the way to your home (i.e. FTTP / FTTH).

ASA UK Ban Virgin Media’s Misleading Fastest WiFi Guarantee Claims

13th December, 2023 (12 Comments)

A complaint by Vodafone has prompted the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) to investigate and ultimately ban a series of adverts for Virgin Media’s (VMO2) UK broadband ISP products after some of them “misleadingly” claimed to be offering the “fastest WiFi Guarantee of any major provider“.