Virgin Media has had two adverts promoting its broadband service banned for claiming to offer unlimited downloads with no caps on data usage.
The ads, which appeared on the cable company’s own website and in the press, attracted criticism from the likes of BT, Sky and several members of the public on the grounds that they were misleading and could not be substantiated.
Defending the adverts, Virgin Media told the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) that its traffic management policy has changed since similar issues were raised in April and May 2013, with the speed reduction for customers who exceed their data allowance dropping from 40 per cent to 30 per cent.
The internet service provider argued that the slowdown is moderate, as the effect was similar to the drop in speeds generally experienced by internet users at busy times.
However, the ASA ruled that as a traffic management policy is still in place, it was misleading for Virgin Media to describe its broadband service as unlimited and uncapped.
“Although there was not a ceiling on the amount of data Virgin Media customers could download, a provider-imposed limitation on their service nevertheless applied,” the regulator explained.