NBN provider Aussie Broadband has removed claims of its broadband services being “congestion-free” after concerns were raised by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
The ACCC said the telco had been making the claims from as early as July 2017, with ads suggesting it offered "congestion-free NBN” and a “congestion-free network” throughout its website, Facebook posts and ads, targeted emails and direct mail-out letters.
Congestion occurs when demand from users exceeds available capacity, such as in peak times between 7pm and 11pm, resulting in slower speeds for users.
“We were concerned that Aussie Broadband’s statements might lead consumers to believe that Aussie Broadband’s services would not ever experience congestion, when that was not the case,” ACCC chairman Rod Sims said.
“Our own observations from the ACCC’s Measuring Broadband Australia program indicate that all broadband providers experience congestion from time to time, although the extent of congestion depends on how well networks are managed, and some are better than others.”
Sims added that while Aussie Broadband recorded the fastest NBN download speeds in the ACCC’s speed tests, all NBN providers should not use absolute statements when promoting the speed and reliability of their broadband services.
The latest report of the ACCC's Measuring Broadband Australia program revealed that Aussie Broadband was the best performing provider during peak hours, reaching 88.3 percent of the maximum speed.
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