In 2017, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the UK's regulator of advertising, reviewed consumer understanding of the term \u2018fibre\u2019 as used in broadband advertising (particularly for part-fibre services such as Fibre to the Cabinet) and any impact the use of this term has on consumers\u2019 transactional decisions. The ASA engaged with stakeholders and received a range of responses from providers of part-fibre and full-fibre broadband services, consumer organisations and other regulators.<\/p>
The ASA published their findings in November 2017 and concluded by stating the following:\u201cIt is not possible to conclude that the word \u2018fibre\u2019, as currently used in part-fibre advertising, is likely to mislead and misinform consumers.\u201d<\/p>
Both the ASA and Ofcom are independent regulators and such matters relating to industry rules on advertising and broadband speed claims are a matter for their discretion.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4361", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Matt Warman"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Boston and Skegness"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Matt Warman"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-09-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "42050"} , {"_value" : "42051"} ], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-09-05T10:18:55.863Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "10"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2022-07-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Broadband: Misrepresentation"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has made an assessment the potential impact of the mis-selling of fibre broadband products on consumers; and if she will make a statement.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4415", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for John Nicolson"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Ochil and South Perthshire"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "John Nicolson"} ], "uin" : "42049"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1491634", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1491634/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
In 2017, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the UK's regulator of advertising, reviewed consumer understanding of the term \u2018fibre\u2019 as used in broadband advertising (particularly for part-fibre services such as Fibre to the Cabinet) and any impact the use of this term has on consumers\u2019 transactional decisions. The ASA engaged with stakeholders and received a range of responses from providers of part-fibre and full-fibre broadband services, consumer organisations and other regulators.<\/p>
The ASA published their findings in November 2017 and concluded by stating the following:\u201cIt is not possible to conclude that the word \u2018fibre\u2019, as currently used in part-fibre advertising, is likely to mislead and misinform consumers.\u201d<\/p>
Both the ASA and Ofcom are independent regulators and such matters relating to industry rules on advertising and broadband speed claims are a matter for their discretion.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4361", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Matt Warman"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Boston and Skegness"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Matt Warman"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-09-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "42049"} , {"_value" : "42051"} ], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-09-05T10:18:55.91Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "10"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2022-07-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Broadband: Misrepresentation"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact for consumers of copper and cable products being sold as fibre products.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4415", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for John Nicolson"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Ochil and South Perthshire"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "John Nicolson"} ], "uin" : "42050"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1491635", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1491635/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
In 2017, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the UK's regulator of advertising, reviewed consumer understanding of the term \u2018fibre\u2019 as used in broadband advertising (particularly for part-fibre services such as Fibre to the Cabinet) and any impact the use of this term has on consumers\u2019 transactional decisions. The ASA engaged with stakeholders and received a range of responses from providers of part-fibre and full-fibre broadband services, consumer organisations and other regulators.<\/p>
The ASA published their findings in November 2017 and concluded by stating the following:\u201cIt is not possible to conclude that the word \u2018fibre\u2019, as currently used in part-fibre advertising, is likely to mislead and misinform consumers.\u201d<\/p>
Both the ASA and Ofcom are independent regulators and such matters relating to industry rules on advertising and broadband speed claims are a matter for their discretion.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4361", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Matt Warman"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Boston and Skegness"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Matt Warman"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-09-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "42049"} , {"_value" : "42050"} ], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-09-05T10:18:55.957Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "10"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2022-07-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Broadband: Misrepresentation"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make representations to Ofcom on the potential impacts of the mis-selling of fibre products on consumers; and if she will make a statement.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4415", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for John Nicolson"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Ochil and South Perthshire"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "John Nicolson"} ], "uin" : "42051"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1490600", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1490600/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is the UK\u2019s independent regulator of advertising across all media.<\/p>