Australia: ACCC warns telcos against ‘unlimited’ services

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has taken a dim view of mobile telcos’ “unlimited” data services that came partially impaired by a 1.5Mbps speed limit.

ACCC chairman Rod Sims today warned telcos against trying to launch similar products in future, noting it had investigated Telstra, Optus and Vodafone.

Telstra and Vodafone’s data plans were structured with a set amount of data quota offered at uncontended speeds, which were then throttled to 1.5Mbps for the remainder of the billing cycle.

Sims pointed to Telstra’s “unlimited” plans, which provided 40GB of data at usual speeds, after which it was capped at speeds of 1.5Mbps; Optus’ “unlimited” offering, which similarly imposed a 1.5Mbps speed cap as well as restrictions against tethering, streaming, and downloads, and a de-prioritisation during congestion; and Vodafone’s “unlimited” plan, which capped usage at 1.5Mbps.

These ads, aired between March and June this year, were “qualified with disclaimers that were not sufficiently prominent or clear to explain to consumers the existence and impacts of the limitations”, according to the ACCC.

Full Content: ZD Net