ACCC takes Telstra to court over "misleading" Next G ads

The court action comes just weeks after the ACCC issued Telstra with a recommendation to amend its Next G advertising campaign, which the watchdog believed was misleading.

The campaign in question raised the ire of the ACCC for including taglines in advertising materials such as "Everywhere you need it" and "covers the entire country".

"The ACCC had particular concerns about Telstra's unqualified use of the taglines ‘Everywhere you need it’ and ‘Get the coverage you need with Telstra's Next G network’, when the whole of Australia is not covered and coverage is not always available where consumers need it," said ACCC Chairman, Graeme Samuel in a media statement detailing the initial recommendation.

Telstra, at the time, said it removed the campaign some months before the complaint was issued.

The ACCC said the ad campaign contravened sections 52 and 53 of the Trade Practices Act 1974 and alleged that Telstra had engaged in misleading or deceptive conduct through its advertising for the Next G mobile network.

A date is yet to be set for the hearing but in the meantime the ACCC is seeking an injunction to restrain Telstra from using similar claims until the case is settled.