The compulsory analogue line rental – paid directly to Telkom – which accompanies any ADSL service has been a bone of contention for both consumers and ADSL service providers. Many consumers feel that they should not be forced to pay for an analogue phone service if they already pay ADSL access charges.<\/p>\n
This issue has also spilled over into the advertising arena, and the three fold ADSL pricing model – comprising of an analogue line rental, ADSL access and ADSL data charges – has long confused newcomers to the broadband market. Telkom’s own advertising has come under scrutiny recently for not clearly indicating all charges associated with an ADSL service.<\/p>\n
In a recent print advertisement Telkom promoted its Do Broadband Internet service with the payoff line “Fast, Affordable Internet for the whole family from only R199 per month”.<\/p>\n
This ad did not go down well with one consumer who lodged a complaint with the Advertising Standards Authority of South Africa (ASA), arguing that Telkom’s R199 claim is untrue as consumers are forced to also pay a R130 line rental to get ADSL. <\/p>\n
Telkom claimed that the advertisement is not misleading as it indicates that ‘Terms and Conditions apply’, and further points to the company’s website with all the relevant information.<\/p>\n
The ASA was unconvinced by Telkom’s argument, saying that the fixed line provider failed to mention the mandatory ADSL line rental charges associated with their ADSL service –which means that a reasonable person will expect to only pay R199 per month for Internet access.<\/p>\n
The ASA ruled that the Telkom advertisement is misleading, and stipulated that Telkom withdraw the advertisement with immediate effect.<\/p>\n