Cell C’s advertising campaign promoting its new high-speed data network has hit a roadblock. The Advertising Standards Authority has ruled that the operator can no longer use the term “4Gs”.
This follows a complaint lodged by Cell C rivals MTN and Vodacom, both of which argued that the term could lead to confusion among consumers. The two bigger network operators claim that the term “4Gs” could be confused with a network standard a level up from the third-generation (3G) networks currently in use.
ASA communications manager Corné Koch says Cell C’s argument that the term is short “for great service” or “for great speed” is not good enough.
She says the term is too ambiguous and the ASA has ordered Cell C to stop using the term with immediate effect.
Cell C has been rolling out its 21Mbit/s network in stages across the country, with Durban and Pietermaritzburg to be the latest to gain access to the service.
The company’s high-profile marketing campaign has received plenty of criticism since its launch, and the complaint by MTN and Vodacom was not unexpected.
Vodacom itself recently lost a case at the ASA and has been ordered not to use the term “broadband” in its advertising campaigns.
Cell C had not responded to a request for comment by the time of publication. — Staff reporter, TechCentral
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