AT&T Slapped Down for its '5G E' Ads: You Don't Have a 5G Network, So Stop Saying So, Says Watchdog
martyb writes:
AT&T slapped down for its '5G E' ads: You don't have a 5G network, so stop saying so, says watchdog:
AT&T has been officially slapped down by America's National Advertising Review Board (NARB) for its 5G Evolution campaign in which it branded its phone and network 5G E, despite not actually deploying 5G technology.
"A panel of the National Advertising Review Board has recommended that AT&T Services discontinue its '5G Evolution' and '5G Evolution, The First Step to 5G' claims," the self-regulatory body ruled on Wednesday.
It went on: "The NARB panel determined that both claims will mislead reasonable consumers into believing that AT&T is offering a 5G network and recommended that the claims be discontinued."
Amazingly, despite AT&T being roundly mocked for its campaign - which, among other things, placed a "5GE" logo in the icon-bar along the top of its phones to dress up its 4G network as 5G - AT&T fought against the censure, even appealing a previous recommendation that it stop.
The NARB noted straight though you suspect with a smirk: "It was not disputed that the AT&T network is not a 5G network."
It also disagreed with AT&T that people would realize the "E" meant "Evolution," as in the network will eventually evolve into a 5G network, rather than thinking, er, it's 5G. And the watchdog pointed out, quite reasonably, that "the current prevalent technology in wireless is 4G LTE, and LTE stands for 'evolution'." Bam!
Also at iPhone Hacks, the Mac Observer, and Android Police.
Read more of this story at SoylentNews.