• Advert for mobile , landline and broadband bundle banned over unclear promotion duration
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Regulator bans ‘ misleading ’ Eircom TV advert and leaflet
• Advert for mobile , landline and broadband bundle banned over unclear promotion duration
By Paul Withers
An Eircom advert promoting the operator ’ s mobile , landline and broadband bundle has been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland ( ASAI ) for being misleading .
The 30-second television advert began with a male voiceover that said : “ It ’ s amazing what happens when things are brought together . Eircom is now offering home phone , broadband and for the first time , mobile together in one Eircom bundle , all from just € 55 a month .”
Eight seconds into the advert , superimposed text in small white font appeared on screen for seven seconds that read : “ Subject to availability . Terms and conditions apply .
O2 Ireland will sell an exclusive variant of the Nokia Lumia 1020 when the smartphone goes on sale in the country in September .
Nokia launched the 41-megapixel camera phone at an event in New York on July 11 .
The handset has already gone on sale in the US , exclusively through AT & T .
It will then go on sale in China and
O2 has launched a range of new contract tariffs that offer unlimited calls and texts to any network , including landlines , every month .
The four O2 Open plans are priced at € 35 , € 45 , € 55 and € 65
Mobile phone users in Belfast have faster internet services now than they had four months ago , but speeds still trail London and Edinburgh , according to research company RootMetrics .
Belfast has seen a rapid increase in mobile internet speeds since March , with downloads speeds more than tripled in some cases , it said .
However , the best average mobile speeds recorded by RootMetrics are still lower than those obtainable in other major UK cities including London and Edinburgh .
Following the introduction of its 4G service , EE was ranked by RootMetrics as providing the best overall performance with
Still from the 30-second Eircom ad showing the offending T & Cs
Promotional price is for six months . For full terms see eircom . net .” The text shown on the screen at the end of the advert read : “ Home Phone Broadband Mobile From € 55 a
key European markets in the following weeks .
During the announcement of the smartphone , Nokia president and CEO Stephen Elop said the manufacturer had signed a deal with Telefónica for O2 ’ s parent company to sell a unique version of the phone in selected markets , the features of which remain unknown . O2 Ireland head of consumer strategy , care and operations Maria O ’ Neill said : “ We are
a month , with the latter two coming with the unlimited allowance , as well as 60 minutes ’ calls and texts within the EU . The € 55 a month plan offers 2GB of data , while the € 65 a month plan offers 3GB .
download speeds of 10.8Mbps upload speeds of 6.2Mbps .
In comparison , latest London figures show download speeds of 13.6Mbps and upload speeds of 8.4Mbps , while in Edinburgh download speeds were 17.1Mbps with upload speeds of 11Mbps .
Meanwhile , Three has boosted its 3G network , more than tripling average download speeds to 6.1Mbps compared to the last RootMetrics review in March , which only analysed 3G speeds .
RootMetrics CEO and president Bill Moore said : “ There are some fast speeds available for Belfast residents ready to move to 4G or ultrafast plans , but at the same time month . Call 1800 503 503 .”
A leaflet for the advert also read : “ The complete bundle , for the first time . Home Phone . Broadband . eMobile all from € 55 a month . Eircom Life Changing .
O2 Ireland to offer Nokia Lumia 1020 exclusive from September
firmly committed to delivering the best and most exclusive experiences to our customers . We think it will be a hit with our customers .”
Nokia Ireland market lead Eoin Cruise added : “ The Nokia Lumia 1020 establishes a new benchmark in smartphone imaging and makes it easier than ever to capture , edit and share photos and videos of unmatched clarity .
“ We are excited that we can bring this new innovation to Ireland through our partnership with O2 .”
All plans are on six , 12 , 18 and 24-month contracts .
Handsets available on these tariffs are the Sony Xperia Z , Samsung Galaxy S III Mini and HTC 8S . There is an upfront charge for each .
Belfast mobile internet speeds ‘ faster than four months ago ’
the fastest accessible speeds aren ’ t reaching the same levels as rival capitals London and Edinburgh , so there is still room for improvement .”
Moore – room for improvement
Bringing it all together to help you save ...”
The footnote at the bottom of the leaflet said of the offer : “ Subject to availability . Promotional price of € 55 is for the first six months . Standard price of € 60 per month applies thereafter . For full terms and conditions see www . eircom . net / termsandconditions .”
However , complaints centred around the advert being not immediately clear that the € 55 price per month was an introductory offer .
In response to the case against it , Eircom said the offer started from € 55 a month for the first six months . This was discounted for the first six months and then the price reverted back to € 60 for the remaining months of
Residents on the tiny Irish island of Rathlin are to receive reliable broadband access for the first time thanks to a BT roll-out of ‘ wireless to the cabinet ’ technology , providing speeds of up 80Mbps .
Rathlin , located just off the coast of County Antrim , is just four miles wide and 2.5 miles long , and has a population of just 100 people .
BT said that until now , speeds on Rathlin have been limited by the difficulty in providing a high-speed link on the island .
BT has developed a new radio solution linking Ballycastle exchange ( situated on the Irish mainland ) with the Rathlin island exchange , providing a “ fibre-like ” capacity directly to a street cabinet in Rathlin .
The initial phase will be trialled in five premises on the island and will run for six months . BT said that if successful ,
BT Ireland has appointed Ciaran Barr as its new chief financial officer .
He replaces Adam Baird , who is now BT Enterprise CFO , based in the UK .
Barr joins from Hyundai Capital / Hyundai Card , a joint venture between the commercial lending and leasing company GE Capital and Hyundai Motor Company , where he was deputy CEO and director for nine months , based in South Korea .
In total , Barr spent sevenand-a-half years at GE Capital . He joined in January 2005 , taking charge of the firm ’ s assurances department for a year . Following that , he moved to its GE Money Ireland operation , where he
the 18-month contract . It said the terms and conditions for the offer had clearly been referenced in the advertising .
Despite this defence , the ASA said the advert must not run in its current format again . It noted the advertising had referred to the fact the price was a promotional one for six months . However the reference was in a footnote in the case of the TV ad and had not been linked by way of an asterisk to the main headline claim .
It also noted the short duration the superimposed text was on screen for prior to the headline claim in the end frame .
The ASA ended by stating the price was a promotional offer and should have been more clearly stated .
Small island in Antrim to get BT broadband
the solution has the potential to offer high-speed broadband capability to the majority of premises on Rathlin .
The telecoms provider claimed the Rathlin solution is also testament to its ongoing commitment to innovation .
In 2012 / 13 , the company said it invested £ 544 million in R & D across its global hubs in the UK , US and India , including its centre in Belfast .
BT head of wholesale sales and services Frank McManus said : “ We have been exploring innovative ways to deliver high-speed broadband capability to Rathlin for some time , so we are very excited to announce the launch of this technology trial .
“ This is a first for the UK and Ireland and will enable residents on the island to enjoy similar fibre broadband speeds as those available to businesses and households across Northern Ireland .”
was CFO and CEO over a period of six years .
Prior to joining GE Capital , Barr was chief accountant for European holiday operator TUI in France and Switzerland for three years .
Barr – new BT Ireland CFO
MN 2013-0730 Irish . indd 18 24 / 07 / 2013 16:58