Telstra withdraws and amends Next G advertisements

Telstra Corporation Limited has withdrawn and amended a series of television advertisements promoting its Next G mobile network after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission raised concerns that the advertisements may mislead consumers about the coverage available on the network.

"Telstra has been promoting the Next G network extensively since its launch in October 2006," ACCC Chairman, Mr Graeme Samuel, said today.

"As part of its promotional campaign, Telstra has run a series of nationwide television advertisements making bold representations about the coverage that consumers would receive when using the Next G network.

"The ACCC had particular concerns about Telstra's unqualified use of the taglines Everywhere you need it and Get the coverage you need with Telstra's Next G network, when the whole of Australia is not covered and coverage is not always available where consumers need it," Mr Samuel said.

The ACCC was also concerned that Telstra's television advertisements conveyed the impression that service quality issues such as call interference and call drop-outs would not happen on the Next G network.

"An important message to any one making bold claims in their advertising, as Telstra has done, is that the message conveyed to consumers and the goods or services ultimately delivered to those consumers must match."

Telstra has responded promptly, indicating that it will no longer use the taglines Everywhere you need it and Get the coverage you need with Telstra's Next G network and has amended its television advertisements accordingly.

"All traders must ensure that claims about the performance and quality of goods and services can be substantiated," Mr Samuel said.